


Red Eye

by LifeIsGood0219



Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe - Detectives, Brotherly Love, F/F, F/M, Family Feels, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:00:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 33,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26821045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LifeIsGood0219/pseuds/LifeIsGood0219
Summary: After recovering from a near fatal gunshot wound, Detective Sam Evans is back to protect and serve. Not long after returning, Sam and Mike are assigned to a case that hits too close to home. They'll do whatever it takes to protect their families and the women they love.
Relationships: Blaine Anderson/Kurt Hummel, Hunter Clarington/Sugar Motta, Mike Chang/Tina Cohen-Chang, Sam Evans/Mercedes Jones, Santana Lopez/Brittany S. Pierce
Comments: 14
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi lovely readers! So I recently started rewatching Glee and of course all the Samcedes feels came back along with some of my other favorite couples/ characters. I also watch a lot of detective shows, so that plays into what I'm writing. I hope you guys enjoy the first chapter!

"Merce, babe, have you seen my badge?" Sam Evans questioned from the other room. He checked himself out in the full length mirror in their bedroom, buttoning up his hunter green dress shirt and tucking it into his black slacks. He buttoned his pants and fastened his belt just as his fiance, Mercedes Jones, walked into the room holding up his blue and gold detective badge.

"Here you are my love." She handed it to him grabbing his tie off the bed and moving to stand in front of him. Sam clipped his badge on his belt as Mercedes brought the black fabric around his neck, lifting his collar before starting her work on the tie."I love this color on you." 

She finished with his tie, fixing his collar, and smoothing her hands down the front of his shirt before wrapping her arms around his waist. Sam wrapped his arms around his girl's shoulders, looking down at her. Mercedes rested her chin against his chest tilting her head up to stare into those gorgeous green eyes she loved so much. After a minute of them gazing at each other, a smile graced his features. "What?"

"You're just so damn beautiful. I can't look away." His smile widened as she playfully rolled her eyes.

"Have you looked in the mirror Evans? I'm pretty sure you're prettier than me." Mercedes winked,standing on her tiptoes and planting a kiss to his lips. Sam deepened the kiss, moving his hand to cradle the back of her head. They separated after a minute. "I made breakfast." Mercedes stated after catching her breath. "You got time to eat?" 

Sam brought his hand up checking his watch. "Not today babe. Gotta head to the precinct a little early. Cap's orders." 

Mercedes odded, smoothing her hands up and down his back a few times. Her left thumb rubbed subconsciously over the spot on his lower back where his scar was. Her mind wandered to the day six months ago when she thought the worst had happened. 

"Hey" Sam spoke, interrupting her thoughts. She looked up at him again continuing to run her fingers along his lower back as his hands massaged her shoulders. Bringing his head down so their foreheads rested against each other, he whispered "I'm fine Merce. That was months ago." 

Mercedes sighed, nodding again before pulling away completely. "I made your coffee and a BLT to go, just in case you couldn't stay." Sam smiled again giving a light kiss to her temple before moving to their closet to retrieve his gun from the safe. He double checked to make sure the safety was on before putting the gun in his holster. Grabbing his black leather jacket, he made his way to the kitchen where Mercedes was pouring herself a cup of coffee. Sam grabbed his breakfast off the counter, slipping his wallet in his back pocket.

"You work today?" 

Mercedes shook her head before speaking. I switched shifts with Brittany, so I'm working the night shift tomorrow. I am meeting with the wedding planner today though with your mom, Kurt and Tina." 

Sam nodded, checking his watch again. He was cutting it close for his first day back on duty. "Alright babe, I've gotta go for real this time. Have fun doing all the girly things that weddings consist of. Just don't do the cake tasting without me "

"Wouldn't dream of it." She replied with a smile. Sam gave her one last kiss before heading for the door. "Hey" He turned to look at his fiance, halfway out the door already. "You come back to me in one piece, okay. No more meeting me at the hospital." Sam's features softened. He knew Mercedes had been worried about him returning back to active duty.

"I promise. I'll be home in time for dinner."

"You better be, or I swear I'll make my way to the station and drag you out myself."

Sam knew she was only half joking as he nodded sending a quick I love you before heading out.

Half an hour later, Sam made his way into the precinct with two minutes to spare. He greeted everyone as he passed by, getting welcome backs in response. Taking the stairs up to his department floor, making his way to his desk and draping his jacket over the desk chair. 

Sam was surprised his desk seemed to be cleaner than he'd left it. He figured one of the one of the guys straightened it up for him. If he asked them, he knew no one would admit to it, but it was one of the non verbal ways to let Sam know that they missed him. Leaving his desk and making his way down the familiar hallway to the briefing room, he thought about how much he'd missed coming to work over the past six months. He'd take a hundred briefings, and even do all the lousy paperwork that no one wanted to do, over going to rehab and doing what he felt like was next to nothing for the past half of a year. Turning down the hall, he made his way into the briefing room, chuckling as a shout of surprise echoed throughout the room.

"Welcome back bro." Mike Chang, his best friend and partner smiled as they did their signature handshake ending it with a hug. Sam looked around the room filled with all those he'd come to know and respect respect over the years. All had smiles on their faces. A large 'Welcome Back' banner hung at the front of the room. There was a snack table full of pastries and drinks and a large blue, white and gold rectangular cake with the words 'Welcome Back Sammy Boy' and a picture of his badge number on it. 

Sam walked into the room giving hugs, high fives, and handshakes to all who he passed. A series of welcome backs and we missed you sounded throughout the room. Captain Roz Washington approached, giving Sam a nod and pat on the back before speaking.

"I hope getting shot and being on leave hasn't made you soft Evans. We don't do soft in this division." 

Sam shook his head, internally rolling his eyes at his captain's words. On his other side, Mike was smirking and taking a drink of his coffee to hide his laugh. "No Captain, I haven't gone soft."

"Alright now, when I put you back out on the street with a case, you betta not start acting crazy like you don't know what the hell is going on. Betta get some act right before then. Everybody talkin' about they missed you and shit. Don't let it get to your head."

By now, Mike's shoulders were shaking from holding in his laugh. Sam nudged him as he was on the verge of cracking himself. "Yes ma'am, I'll make sure to get some act right before my next case."

Captain Washington nodded her approval as her eyes moved to Mike. "I don't know what the hell you're laughing at Chang. Same goes for you. Now that your partner is back, don't go acting like you don't know anything." Mike quickly straightened up, clearing his throat with a nod and giving a quick yes ma'am. She glanced around checking the clock before speaking again. "And where's your third partner in crime? I swear you three are three peas in a pod. Like the damn three stooges." 

"You muthafucker!" Came a deep, familiar voice from behind Sam. Turning around, he came face to face with his cousin and fellow detective Hunter Clarington. 

"Speak of the Devil." Captain Washington stated, stepping away to head toward the pastry table.

"I missed you bitch." Hunter confessed, pulling the blonde in for a tight hug. Sam hugged him back before reminding the other man that they'd just seen each other the day before at Sunday Family Dinner. "Not the same man, and you know it. Sammy Boy's back bitches!" Hunter shouted the last part for everyone to hear. He received a stern look from Captain Washington, waving it off as he turned back to his best friends. "Sadly, I guess this means Mikey and I are no longer riding together, but I'll suck it up. Try not to miss me too much." 

"Dude, we see each other literally every day. There's nothing to miss." Mike informed his friend. They did spend a lot of time together. Their families were close. All three men's fathers were cops, graduating the Academy together just as Mike, Hunter and Sam had. It was the family business, and though none of them were forced into it, they all chose it and loved what they did.

Sam moved to grab a glazed doughnut from the table, with Hunter and Mike following. Hunter poured himself a cup of coffee, adding cream before bringing it to his lips. He took a couple gulps before eyeing Mike.

"You get a text from Nonna?" Hunter questioned referring to his and Sam's very Italian grandmother. She had also become a surrogate grandmother to Mike over the years as she had known him since he was born. Both his biological grandmothers passed away before he was born, and Bianca De Luca had spoiled him and loved Mike just as she had all her other grandkids. 

"Yeah, she texted me at the crack of dawn. Called me too after I apparently took too long to reply back." The Asian man was starting to regret him and Stevie showing Nonna how to text after Stevie had gotten her an iPhone for her birthday.

"I didn't get a call...or a text." The blonde frowned looking between the two men in front of him.

"Be glad you didn't. She was threatening us." Hunter informed as the three made their way to one of the tables, taking a seat and awaiting for the meeting that would soon start.

"Pssh threatening you maybe. By the end of our phone call, she told me she'd be baking cookies and bringing 'em over later." Mike told them cheerfully as he opened his granola bar, taking a bite.

"Son of a bitch." The brunette mumbled at his friend's confession, openly jealous.

"What the hell? I want some...wait, why'd she threaten you Hunt?" Sam inquired, slightly offended he didn't get a text or call from his grandmother. Hunter pulled out his phone from his jacket pocket finding the text he received at exactly six am that morning.

"Nipote, you better make sure my Sammy doesn't get shot again. If he does, I'm cutting you off. I might even kill you myself. Love Nonna." The brunette rolled his eyes, and Sam let out a snort shaking his head with a smile playing on his lips. He loved his Nonna. She could be a bit much at times for anyone that wasn't used to her personality, but underneath it all, she was the sweetest woman he'd ever known. And he was 99% sure that he was her favorite grandchild.

"I'm definitely the favorite." The blonde stated smugly, finishing his doughnut.

"The fact you are. She tells me I'm her favorite all the time." Hunter retorted.

"She says that to all of us, you know." Mike interjected as everyone else found their seats for the meeting. "Just don't get shot again Sam, or we'll all have to answer to her."

Before either of them could protest, Captain Washington came up to the front. "Alright my little minions, now that we've welcomed back one of New York's finest, it's time to get back to business."

Three hours later, Mike and Sam sat in their unmasked Charger waiting for their suspect to walk out of the building.

"Daniel Vargas" Sam read over the file again briefly . "Got quite a few priors. Sounds like a runner."

"Definitely a runner." Mike agreed.

"Rock, paper, scissors." The blonde already had his fist cupped in his other hand ready to play a round like they did everytime they suspected a runner to determine which one of them would have to chase on foot. Mike shook his head.

"Man, hell no! I've done enough running for a year after having Detective Sylvester as a partner for the first three months you were out. She made me chase all the runners, and then said I run like a five year old girl being chased by a baby shark. It's your turn to do the running." 

"Oookay" The other man didn't have much to say to that. Their suspect exited an apartment building and jogged across to their side of the street. 

"Yo Vargas!" 

The young Latino turned at the sound of his name, looking over his shoulder. Mike being nearest to him, flashed his badge.

"Shit!" Was all that was heard before his retreating footsteps echoed, pounding the pavement. Mike sighed letting out a soft chuckle.

"All you Evans. I'll swing around the block, cut him off." Mike hopped back in their patrol car flashing the lights just as the blonde took off chasing the other man who had yet to get very far.

He ended up chasing the kid three blocks dodging an old lady and her cocker spaniel and hopping over the fence in the process. He finally came into close enough distance to put his old high school football skills to use and tackled Vargas to the ground. 

"Fuck man! You broke my arm!"

Sam rolled his eyes pulling out his cuffs, clamping them around the suspect's wrists.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law…"

Man was he glad to be back.

_______________________________

The aroma of Chicken Parmesan filled the apartment causing a smile to grace Sam's features when he walked in.

"Merce?"

"In here babe!" She called from the kitchen. Quickly shedding his jacket and shoes, he followed his girl's voice into their kitchen watching as she pulled their dinner out of the oven. "You're just in time Mr. Evans. Glad I didn't have to come looking for you."

Sam moved, planting a kiss to her lips. "Never, when there's food involved, I'll always come back to you."

Mercedes nudged him in the side, shaking her head at the joke. Going through the motions, Sam washed his hands, grabbed plates and glasses for them while she placed the food on the table. They both filled their plates and said grace before digging in.

"Nonna came over today after I got back from wedding planning."

"Did she threaten you too?" He joked, taking a hearty bite of pasta. Mercedes eyed him curiously as she chewed a piece of chicken. 

"Of course not. I'm her favorite. We talked about the wedding venue, played three rounds of chess, to which she won all of them. I swear she always cheats." The diva spoke with a smile, taking a sip of her water before continuing. Sam devoured his food as he listened. "She brought a batch of homemade cinnabons and this." 

Mercedes moved to grab a light gray card envelope off the counter, placing it on the table within Sam's reach. Already finished with his meal for the most part, he wiped his mouth and hands with a napkin. He picked up the envelope and smiled at the fact it was addressed to 'My Sammy' in his grandmother's neat cursive. Mercedes sat back down continuing her meal. Sam opened the envelope pulling out the cardstock.

Bambino, 

I know today was your first day back at work, and you have no idea how happy I am that you are well enough to go back. I'm not surprised you healed as quickly as you did because you're strong just like your Nonno Tony was. You remind me so much of him. I always say Hunter looks just like Nonno when he was his age, but you have his personality, including his determination...and stubbornness.

Sam let out a puff of air knowing her words were true.

I worry everyday about all my grandbabies, but especially you, Mikey, Hunter, and now Stevie will be added to that list since he's graduating from the academy in a couple weeks. I pray everyday for you boys to make it home safely, and I almost lost hope the day your momma called me after finding out you'd been shot. I thought back to the day you were born. How I asked God to grant you a long and full life. I know I'm rambling a bit, but I'm getting to the point, I swear.

Sam smiled a bit at that. Mercedes finished her food taking the plates to the sink to wash them.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say nipote is I want to see you live a full life. For you to marry Mercedes, and bless me with great grandbabies to spoil and love. She may not show it all the time, but she's worried about you. It can be hard loving a man who puts his life on the line everyday. I know first hand. So on days when you come home, and Cedes seems worried or down, take care of her, and let her take care of you. She truly loves you. I never liked any of the little girls you brought home because I saw right through them. Cedes is the real deal. I'll end it there since I feel like I've been writing forever, and my hand is starting to hurt. I'll see you Sunday for family dinner. I'm making your favorite. I love you Sammy.

P.S. Sei il mio bambino preferito.

P.P.S. That's our little secret.

After finishing the letter, Sam rose out of his seat moving to wrap his strong arms around his fiance from behind. Mercedes leaned into the solid embrace as she finished putting foil atop the leftovers.

"What did Nonna say?" Turning around in his embrace, Mercedes leaned against the counter as Sam leaned into her, looking down to meet her chocolate brown hues with his sage ones. She wrapped her arms around his neck running her fingers over the tiny hairs there.

"Just reminding me of what's important."

"And what's that?"

"Family, you...especially you." Sam pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, breathing in her scent of mango and almond butter body wash, and vanilla from her hair. For the past six years, that comforting smell had been home to him. Mercedes was his home. "I love you."

"And I love you." She cupped his face pulling him in for a kiss.

_______________________________

Sarah Martinez had just finished her late night shift at Jay's Diner, she put in her earphones, turning on her favorite Nirvana song, and starting down the sidewalk to walk the five blocks it took to get to the subway terminal. Most of her walk there, the street lights illuminated her path, and she silently mouthed the words to the song's chorus as she continued her journey.

A black van turned down the street she was now on slowing down to creep following behind her. She had yet to notice, jamming out to the song and minding her business. The street she was now on had less light, and she started walking a bit faster. Glancing to her left, she noticed the van out of her peripheral, creeping to a stop. Clutching her purse tighter, and speeding up her walk. Sarah moved to reach for her phone in her pocket a bit too late as she was tightly grabbed from behind. She attempted to scream, but a rag was pulled over her nose and mouth muffling any sound. She kicked and squirmed attempting to get away, but soon found herself too weak to try to fight back. Once her limbs fell limp, the culprit picked her up swiftly, shoving her in the back of the van. The only thing that could be heard on the silent street was Kurt Cobain's last few lines from Smells Like Teen Spirit as her phone was left on the empty sidewalk.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi lovely readers. Thank you all for reading and leaving kudos and comments!
> 
> Warning this chapter contains mentions of blood, sexual assault, and murder. So if any of these things trigger you, you may want to skip it.
> 
> Otherwise, enjoy reading!
> 
> Disclaimer, I own nothing but my original characters in this story.

6 Months Ago

"Alright Jamie, Dr. Sanders will be here in a few minutes to get a cast set on your arm." Mercedes told the ten year old after checking his vitals, putting her stethoscope back around her neck. "Next time, tuck and roll." She winked, getting a smile from the boy. His mother gave a quick thank you, and Mercedes nodded with a smile.

After writing her notes on the young boys chart, she made her way to the nurses station to check for any unassigned cases.

"Hey Cede!" Brittany, her friend and fellow coworker greeted as she sat down in front of one of the computers to enter patient info.

"Hey Britt. What's the status for today?" Mercedes grabbed the next unassigned case chart, reading it over.

The young blonde shrugged in response. "It's slow today, so it should be easy breezy. Though a call did just come through a minute ago. There was a shooting on 10th and Park, and they're bringing him here, five minutes out." 

Mercedes nodded, saying a small prayer for whoever would be coming through those doors in the next few minutes. "Let me know if you need any help when the ambo gets here. I'm gonna check this patient's vitals and set up an IV, then I'm going to lunch." Brittany gave her a thumbs up and Mercedes headed off to take care of her next patient.

_______________________________

"Well alright Mr. Johnson, everything looks good! You are pretty dehydrated though, so I'd say about an hour or so on fluids, and you should be good to go." Mercedes slipped her latex gloves off, disposing of them and checking a few things off on his chart. "The doctor should be in to see you in about twenty minutes." She checked her watch marking the time she put in the IV.

"Thank you sweetheart. You are a gem." The older man told her with a smile. "I'll be just fine for an hour as long as I get to watch the game. I never miss seeing the Knicks play."

"You sound like my fiance. He's a hard core Knicks fan as well."

"Smart young man." 

"He is indeed." Mercedes' smile brightened as she thought about Sam. She let Mr. Johnson know when she'd be back to check on him before going to the nearest nurses station to enter his info in the system. Humming to herself, the young woman finished typing her notes just as a Code Blue sounded through the halls. 

Quickly getting up, she made her way down the hall to the other end of the ER. Someone had flat lined in Room 2. She could hear the incessant monotone of the heart monitor. There were already two doctors and a handful of nurses in there, so Mercedes stayed back not wanting to overcrowd. If they needed her, they'd let her know.

A few moments later, Brittany rushed past with a couple blood bags in hand into the crowded room. Mercedes swore she heard a few expletives leave the blonde's mouth, and was surprised as her friend rarely ever cursed. The young woman quickly left the room after dropping off the blood bags, once the head nurse instructed her to another task.

The heart monitor was back with a rhythm of a light beep every second that could be heard from the room. Brittany continued to curse, moving to the computer. Her hands were shaking, and a series of 'this can't be happening' flowed from her lips. Mercedes moved closer to her, placing a comforting hand on the other woman's back.

"Britt?" The woman in question jumped slightly at the sound of her voice and touch.

"Shit Cede! You scared me." Brittany quickly wiped her eyes, turning to the other woman. "I didn't realize you were here."

The commotion in Room 2 didn't cease. "He's losing a lot of blood people! We need to get him to the OR!" Dr. Alvarez announced.

The Head Nurse, Connie, called for Brittany to page Dr. Redding and make sure there was an available Operating Room. Brittany nodded,quickly reaching for the phone between her and Mercedes with shaky hands. 

"I can do it Britt." The shorter woman stated, moving to pick up the phone. Brittany shook her head, grasping the device tight in her hand.

"I got it, Cede."

"Britt-"

"It's Sam!" She spoke softly, but firmly, looking at her friend with sad, red rimmed eyes. Turning back to the task at hand, Brittany hurriedly paged Dr. Redding, and called the Surgical Floor to see which room was available.

Mercedes stood there frozen in place as those words processed in her mind. She must have misunderstood the other woman. How many guys named Sam resided in New York City alone? Had to be at least a couple thousand, so the odds of it being her Sam was slim.

She had been so lost in her thoughts, that she didn't notice when Brittany left after being summoned by Nurse Connie in need of an extra pair of hands. After getting the patient stabilized enough to move him to the OR, the extra nurses cleared out of the room, and that's when Mercedes saw him. It was her Sam. But not her happy, smiling, beautiful fiance. Instead, he was far too pale, hooked up to wires, and covered in blood, his blood.

Dr. Alvarez and Nurse Connie rolled her Sam out into the hallway, heading for the elevator. And that is when Mercedes snapped back into motion.

"Sam!" She rushed to catch up to them in the hallway that felt like it was closing in on her. They stopped in front of the elevator, waiting, and Mercedes took the opportunity to come closer, placing a small hand to his pale cheek before binding down to whisper words only he could hear. Though she wasn't sure if he actually would hear them or not. "You're gonna be okay, baby. You hear me? You're strong, and you're gonna be okay. I love you so much." She placed a gentle kiss to his temple just as the elevator dinged open.

"Dr. Redding is the best Mercedes." Nurse Connie reassured. Mercedes nodded, swiping at her eyes, trying to get rid of the blurriness. She hadn't realized she'd been crying until now. Once Sam disappeared behind the elevator doors, she silently broke down. Seconds later, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her. Brittany quickly led her to a secluded part of the hallway, and she comforted her friend as she cried, trying to keep her own tears at bay.  
\----------------------------------------------------

Sam had been out for three days after his surgery. Dr. Redding was able to remove the bullet, and fix the damage it had done. At least that's what everyone was hoping and praying, that there wasn't any lasting damage. They wouldn't know until Sam actually woke up. The bullet had barely missed his spine by an inch. A freaking inch.

Mike had filled her in on what led up to Sam being shot, and even though Mercedes didn't want to hear it, she needed to. He'd also let her know that the guy responsible was, in fact, dead now. Mercedes would never wish death on anyone, but to say she was relieved was an understatement.

Mercedes and Sam's younger sister, Stacy, were seated in the private hospital room. Stacy was to his left, with Mercedes on his right. The young, usually peppy blonde sat with a book open, reading aloud C.S. Lewis 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.'   
The other woman was only half listening. A million and one thoughts seemed to be going through her mind. She fiddled with her engagement ring, twirling it around on her left ring finger, and silently begging Sam to open his eyes. Stacy paused in her reading, glancing at her eldest brother before turning her attention to her sister-in-law.

"I know it may seem silly, me reading to him like this." Stacy spoke softly. "But this was our favorite book when we were younger. Sam and Stevie would read it aloud to me, and do different voices for each character." She stated with a sad smile.

"It's not silly Stace. It's really sweet, and I know he can hear you, so keep reading to him." Mercedes encouraged. Stacy nodded, wiping her eyes quickly and continuing where she left off in the book.

The sound of Mercedes phone vibrating loudly in her purse interrupted her thoughts. She quickly located the device, stepping into the adjoining bathroom to take the call.

"Hey Mary" She spoke into the receiver, leaning against the small counter.

"Hi honey, any change?" Mary Evans questioned. The older woman had been at the hospital for the past two days with her oldest before she was coaxed by her mother to go home and get some rest. She hadn't slept more than a couple hours and was preparing to head back to the hospital soon.

"No change yet. Stacy has been reading to him."

"Oh my sweet girl. She's always adored her brothers. And after their father was killed…" Mary paused taking a deep breath, and a few sniffles could be heard over the line. Mercedes tilted her head towards the ceiling, holding back her own tears. "I'm sorry honey."

"It's-"

"Cede, he's awake!" Stacy loudly proclaimed from the other side of the door, tapping on it excitedly. Mercedes hurriedly moved towards the door, stepping back into the room. Stacy couldn't stop smiling, looking at the other woman. "Sammy's awake! See!"

The younger woman practically bounced back over toward the bed. Mercedes' eyes followed her breath she didn't realize she was holding, and more tears blurred her vision as her eyes locked with his. Lifting her phone back to her ear, she softly spoke.

"Mary-"

"I heard sweetie. I'll be there soon."

Mercedes nodded as Mary disconnected the call. Tears were flowing more freely now as she moved to the bed. Stacy announced she was going to find the doctor, planting a gentle kiss to her brother's cheek before exiting. 

Sam's eyes continued to focus on Mercedes as she moved closer to the head of the bed. He slowly turned his hand palm side up, not having strength to do much else. Mercedes held back a sob, gently grabbing his hand and bringing her other hand up to move his bangs away from his eyes.

"Hi my love. I missed those beautiful eyes."

Sam gave her a small, tired smile, rubbing his thumb against the back of her hand. He cleared his throat wincing a bit as a ripple of pain went through his body.

"Merce…" His voice was hoarse from lack of use over the past few days. Mercedes made to move and grab a cup of water for him, but he stopped her, gripping her hand a little tighter. "Will you sing...the song earlier...I heard you." He told her slowly. She gave a watery smile, running her fingers through his hair as she started quietly singing.

When tomorrow comes  
I'll be on my own  
Feeling frightened of  
The things that I don't know  
When tomorrow comes  
Tomorrow comes  
Tomorrow comes

And though the road is long  
I look up to the sky  
And in the dark I found,  
I lost hope that I won't fly  
And I sing along, I sing along  
And I sing along

I got all I need when I got you and I  
I look around me, and see a sweet life  
I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight  
You're getting me, getting me through the night  
Kick start my heart when you shine it in my eyes  
Can't lie, it's a sweet life  
I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight  
You're getting me, getting me through the night  
'Cause you're my flashlight (flashlight)  
You're my flashlight (flashlight)  
You're my flashlight

I see the shadows long beneath the mountain top  
I'm not afraid when the rain won't stop  
'Cause you light the way  
You light the way, you light the way

I got all I need when I got you and I  
I look around me, and see a sweet life  
I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight  
You're getting me, getting me through the night  
Kick start my heart when you shine it in my eyes  
I can't lie, it's a sweet life  
I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight  
You're getting me, getting me through the night  
(Light light light you're my flashlight, light, light)  
Light light you're my flashlight  
Light light light light light, oh  
(Light light light you're my flashlight, light, light)  
You're my flash, oh

I got all I need when I got you and I  
I look around me, and see a sweet life  
I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight  
You're getting me, getting me through the night  
Can't stop my heart when you shinin' in my eyes  
I can't lie, it's a sweet life  
I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight  
(You're my flashlight)  
You're getting me, getting me through the night  
'Cause you're my flashlight  
'Cause you're my flashlight  
You're my flashlight

You're my flashlight  
Light light  
You're my flashlight  
Light light ye-yeah

You're my flashlight

\----------------------------------------------------

Present Day

Mike Sighed getting out of the patrol car and heading towards the crime scene along with Sam. If the Asian man was being completely honest, he hated this part of his job. He knew it came with the territory, but it could be hard at times. He would never understand why people could purposely harm and/or kill other people. It would never make sense to him. Self defense he understood. Everyone had a right to protect themselves, but someone killing an innocent person, never made sense to him. The two partners made their way to where the victim's body was in the alley next to one of the dumpsters. The coroner stood up nodding in greeting.

"Who's our victim, Sebastian?" Mike questioned as his eyes raked over the body. The first thing he noticed was how young she looked. Poor girl

"Sarah Martinez, 21 years old. She was a Junior at Columbia University according to her student ID, and a waitress at Jay's Diner." The young woman still had her work uniform on which was now smeared in blood.

"Damn" Sam sighed. She was only a couple years older than his baby sister. "Cause of death?"

"Possibly blunt force trauma to the back of the head." Sebastian announced, moving to squat down next to the body. "But, you see here." He pointed a gloved finger at the bluish, purple finger shaped marks around her neck. Sam and Mike nodded. "She was strangled, but it's hard to tell which is the cause of death. Medical examiner is on the way...there's also signs of sexual assault." 

"Well, well, well if it isn't Detective Guppy Lips and Detective Bruce Lee." Santana Lopez stated, her heels clacking as against the pavement as she made her way over to the three men. "Lucifer's spawn" She referred to the other man in greeting.

"Wicked Bitch of the West" Sebastian quickly retorted, not missing a beat.

"Don't start Santana." Sam replied, getting an eye roll from the Latina.

"Oh don't act like you haven't missed working with me Trouty. You too Asian Persuasion." 

Mike sighed once again. Sometimes he didn't understand how he was friends with some of the people in their friend group. "Can we get back to the task at hand Tana. The victim please."

She waved him off, taking a look at the body before letting them know she'd be able to do an autopsy in a couple hours to confirm the cause of death.

"Oh, and before I forget to tell you. I'm throwing a surprise party for Britt-Britt's birthday in a couple weeks at that new club Snix. I'll send a group text with details." She snapped on her latex gloves. The three men nodded at her words before Mike and Sam advised they were heading back to the precinct to get started on locating possible suspects. 

______________________________

Mercedes smiled at her blonde friend as Brittany sat down in front of her at their table. They were having lunch together in the hospital cafeteria after finally being able to sit down and take a break. The Emergency Room had been particularly busy that day. The new girl, Sugar, whom they'd become fast friends with, plopped down in the seat next to Brittany. Sugar laid her head down on the cold table top, letting out a groan.

"Oh my god. I'm so tired."

Mercedes and Brittany smiled both letting out a few giggles.

"You think what we had this morning was bad, try working a twenty-four hour shift. Then let me know how tired you are." The blonde stated popping a chip in her mouth. Sugar's head shot up and she shook it violently causing her ponytail to flop back and forth.

"Oh no, twelve hour shifts are enough right now. I need at least ten hours of beauty rest per night." She told her new friends, opening the container filled with her chicken caesar salad and eating a fork full.

Mercedes finished chewing her food before speaking. "What do you do when you're not working Sugar?" 

"Sleep, get my nails done, sleep, go to the spa." She shrugged. "Not much else though. I haven't gone out since moving to New York. You two are the first friends I've made here."

Mercedes and Brittany shared a look before asking the other woman if she liked karaoke. Her smile was answer enough, though she did admit to not being the best singer. They explained how their group always went to Karaoke Dokie to hang out and let loose at least once a month.

"We're going this Saturday." The diva told her. "You should come."

Brittany glanced over Mercedes' shoulder, frowning a bit. There was a guy watching them from across the room. Earlier, she noticed he had been watching them as well in the emergency waiting room, but didn't think anything of it the first time.

"You okay Britt?"

Mercedes' question snapped the other woman out of her thoughts. She quickly turned her attention back to her friends and nodded. She glanced over her friend's shoulder once more only to find the table that was occupied a few moments before now empty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Remember, comments and kudos are love!
> 
> Song in chapter is Flashlight by Jessie J


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely readers! Here's a new update, with a fairly long chapter for you to enjoy. There's a little Samcedes lovin in this chapter for those who enjoy that sort of thing lol, and of course some suspense. 
> 
> And that you to all that have commented and put this story on your subscription list and left kudos. It means a lot. Enjoy!

"Wakey, wakey, sweetheart!" A deep male voice echoed through the young woman's ears. Her head was pounding, sending jolts of pain from the front of her head to the back of her neck. Slowly opening her eyes and blinking away the blurriness, panic set in when she realized she was in an unfamiliar place. Her hands and feet were bound, and duct tape covered her mouth. Her eyes widened as she frantically scanned the dim room. There was very little light, the only source being the lone light bulb hanging from the ceiling. She tried to sit up better on the hard, concrete floor, wincing as her bruised shoulder rubbed against the wall.

The sound of heavy footsteps beating against the concrete came closer before her assailant came into view. Her breathing picked up as the drumming of her heart beat violently against her chest. All the events that happened within the last twenty-four hours rapidly came back to her. She had been walking to her friend's house when someone grabbed her from behind. The mace that she always carried around hadn't been much use as she was unable to get to it with her keys in her bag. It all happened so fast. That's the last thing she remembered. After that everything was foggy. The man squatted down in front of her, reaching up a hand to remove her hair from her face. She flinched as he did so. 

"Now, now sweetheart, don't pull away from me. I'm just tryin' to help." He placed her hair behind her ear eerily gentle, and a shudder went through her body in reaction. He stared at her for several uncomfortable minutes. Her dark brown skin was as smooth as silk, and her eyes reminded him of the golden brown leaves that fell every Autumn in New York. Her hair was in it's natural curly state, her nose the perfect shape, and her lips...those perfectly plump lips. "I'm gonna remove the tape, but if you scream, I'll have to put it back on, understand."

The young woman nodded slowly. He raised his hand again. His calloused fingers brushing across her cheek, briefly, before removing the black tape from her mouth. She licked her dry lips, swallowing the lump in her throat. He smiled at her, and once upon a time, she would probably have fallen for that smile if it were under different circumstances.

"Do you know how beautiful you are?" She didn't know whether to answer or just keep quiet. "I asked you a question!" He raised his voice causing her to flinch once again. Tears sprang to her eyes at his sudden change in tone.

"Y-yes" She stuttered out.

His demeanor changed back to charming at her response. Of course she knew how beautiful she was. He'd been watching her for months. With her boyfriend, and all her friends. She was beautiful and well loved. Yet, everyday, she teased him with the way she dressed, her laugh and smile. It was never for him though. Always for her friends or her damn boyfriend. 

"Of course you do." He untied her ankles and stood up before helping her up, and leading her to one of the doors that opened to a small room with a bed. He motioned for her to sit on the bed, and she hesitated for a second before complying. He sat down next to her. Her heart was beating even faster than before as the unfallen tears started raining down her face. She knew what was bound to happen next, so she mentally prepared herself for the worst.  
_______________________________

Sam sighed in frustration, running his hand through his short, blonde locks. He had been sitting at his desk going through Sarah Martinez's file once again. He and Mike had questioned everyone who'd been at the diner that night she was last seen alive. The cook, Jay, the owner, and another waitress had all seen her leave like normal. Jay had offered to walk with her the few blocks, but she'd insisted she'd be fine walking by herself according to the three. There was also one lone customer there that night when she left. A guy around Sam and Mike's age, late twenties maybe early thirties. He'd paid with cash, stayed about twenty minutes after Sarah left, then left the diner as well. 

For the past couple hours, the duo had been trying to figure out who the guy was. Abigail, the other waitress, said he wore a baseball cap covering most of his hair, but she was pretty sure it was brown, he was around six feet and muscular. The one thing that stood out to her were his eyes. They were a 'light, piercing blue' she told them. And he was handsome and charming. Hell they're always charming.

Though her physical description of the guy basically described half the men in New York. Aside from the eye color, she'd just described Hunter for goodness sake! Sam didn't know where else to start, he was getting a headache, and, though he didn't want to admit it, his back was starting to hurt as well. 

He stood from his desk chair, stretching before making his way across the hall to the break room, grabbing a cup of coffee and a bottle of ice cold water. Moving back to his desk, he pulled out a small bottle of aspirin, opening it, and pouring two in his hand before popping them in his mouth using the water to chase them down.

"You okay, bro?" Hunter's voice came from behind just before he leaned against the blonde man's desk. He crossed his arms giving his cousin a questioning look.

"I'm fine Hunt." Sam replied, taking another large gulp of water, finishing off the bottle. "You don't have to keep watching me. You're not my keeper you know." 

The dark haired man let out a puff of air. "Well, according to our grandmother I am. Besides, you're my little cousin, so it's instinct to look out for you anyway."

Sam leaned back in his chair rolling his eyes. "Dude, we're the same age. You're only two months older than me."

"I'm still older." Hunter stated with a shrug. He started fiddling with supplies on Sam's desk, and the other man sighed again, slightly annoyed.

"Did you need something, Hunt, or did you just come over here to annoy the hell out of me?" 

Hunter raised a dark brow, stopping his shuffling of the sticky notes he had in his hands. "Someone's pissy today."

Sam closed his eyes, running a hand over his face and through his hair. "Sorry, I just have a headache, and I'm waiting for the aspirin I just took to kick in." 

The other man nodded in understanding, placing the sticky notes back where he found them. "I actually came to see if you wanted to grab lunch. Mike too, where is he?" The desk to the left of Sam's belonged to Mike and was currently unoccupied.

"He's downstairs in the Medical Examiner's office talking to Santana about our victim." Sam readjusted himself in his chair, rolling his shoulders back trying to get comfortable. He tensed up for a second as a dull pain went up his back. Hunter watched him for a minute before speaking again.

"You and Cede having a dry spell or something?" The blonde's head snapped in his direction, but Sam soon regretted the sudden movement as it sent more tension down his spine. Clenching his jaw, he eyed Hunter.

"The fuck Hunt? No we're not having a dry spell. Why the hell would you even ask that?" The truth was, he and Mercedes hadn't had sex in a week. It wasn't intentional, but with Mercedes working mostly night shifts, and Sam back on active duty with this new case, they hadn't had much time to see each other for more than a quick hi and kiss goodbye.

Hunter shrugged again raising his hands in surrender. "Just wondering...she may be able to knock the kinks out though. Might wanna make time for that."

"Shut the fuck up, Hunt."

"I'm just saying...do you speak Italian when you guys fuck?" Sam huffed in response. He truly loved his cousin, but there were times when he wanted to kill him. This was certainly one of those times. "You don't have to say anything. I already know the answer. It's a De Luca thing. Ladies love it though. Something about romance languages and shit."

The other man shook his head. Before anything more could be said, they were interrupted by Tina and Mercedes coming up to them with bags of food in their hands. The girls greeted them with bright smiles. 

"Ciao bellas! To what do we owe this pleasure?" Hunter greeted, standing to his full height. Sam did the same. The medicine had kicked in, numbing the pain in his head and back. He leaned forward, giving his girl a chast kiss, and a hey to Tina.

"We came to see if you guys wanted to have lunch. We brought enough food for everyone, including you Hunt." Tina explained as she and Mercedes placed two brown paper bags from Dante's Bistro atop Sam's desk. At the mention of food, Hunter smiled moving to stand between the two women, placing an arm around each of their shoulders.

"Ragazze mie, vi ho mai detto che siete le mie preferite?" Both girls smiled understanding the familiar phrase, each wrapping an arm around the dark haired man. As if on queue, Mike and Santana rounded the corner joining the group.

"Alright, Scooby-Doo Gang, what's for lunch cuz I'm starving." The Latina inquired, shuffling through the bags and finding the take out box with her name on it. Mike kissed his girlfriend in greeting before suggesting they all go to the park across the street for lunch. They all agreed, grabbing their food and drinks before making their way outside. 

Sam and Mercedes fell back a small distance from the group, their laced hands swinging between them. Sam stopped suddenly, causing Mercedes to do the same, and turn to him with a questioning look. 

"You okay, babe? I figured you'd be home asleep after working all night." Slight concern was etched in his voice, but Mercedes sent a smile his way.

"I'm good Sam. I did have two Red Bulls during my shift, so I'm gonna be up for a few more hours." She confessed, wrapping her arms around his waist. "And I've missed you this past week." The last part was spoken just above a whisper. 

Mercedes hadn't slept much all week, unbeknownst to Sam. Working night shifts, she was fine knowing he was safe at home. However, when she was home during the day, and he was working, worry would set in. She'd probably get three to four hours of sleep, and find other things to do to keep busy before she had to get ready for work again. By the time she was ready for work, Sam would be making his way in. They'd have maybe ten minutes before she had to leave.

Sam wrapped his arms around her shoulders, hugging her to his chest, and placing a kiss in her hair. "I've missed you too, mi amore." 

"Yo, Foggy Lips and Aretha! You two better get over here if you're hungry, or I will eat your food and enjoy every last bite! The Latina yelled from across the street where the four friends posted up at one of the picnic tables. The couple shook their heads, kissing once more before heading across the street hand in hand.  
_______________________________

The six had been eating and talking about Karaoke night and Brittany's birthday celebration coming up. They all needed a night off filled with friends and fun to unwind. 

Mercedes eyed her cousin-in-law sitting across from her as a thought came to her, and she smiled before speaking. "Hunter, are you seeing anyone?" 

The man in question looked up, meeting her eyes with lifted brows. "I'm seeing a lot of someone's, sweetheart. You trying to add another to my list?" Hunter sat forward, folding his hands together, giving Mercedes his full attention. She inwardly rolled her eyes at his words.

"Well...i have this new friend." She started, and Hunter motioned for her to go on. "She's really pretty and sweet, and her name is Sugar-"

"What the hell kinda name is Sugar? She a stripper or something?" The other four laughed as similar questions popped in their heads. Mercedes narrowed her eyes at all of them, turning back to the man in front of her.

No, she's not a stripper. She's a nurse, and she goes by her middle name. Her first name is Alexandra." Hunter nodded, looking down at the table and tapping his fingers. Sam, Tina, Mike and Santana had started talking amongst themselves leaving Mercedes and Hunter to their own conversation.

"Last time you set me up with someone, Cede, I got my heart broken. I'm not blaming you for what happened between Quinn and I. She didn't want a commitment, and I came to terms with that."

Mercedes' face softened, giving her friend a small smile. Her old friend had certainly done a number on him. Hunter hadn't attempted a real relationship since Quinn Fabray left him, saying she wanted to travel the world, and didn't want to be tied down. That had been over two years ago. Every now and then, Mercedes would get a postcard from the other woman. Belize, Brazil, Cameroon, she'd even gone to Italy, sending pictures of what she'd seen and done. Which was kind of a low blow after Hunter declared he'd take her there some day. 

Mercedes just wanted to see him happy with a woman who'd appreciate him. "I won't push it, but I do think you guys would hit it off. She's coming with us to Karaoke Dokie tonight." She informed. Hunter pretended to think about it before responding.

"Fine, I'll give it a shot. Still don't know why anyone would go by the name Sugar, willingly, but you did say she's pretty, and you should know. Birds of a feather and all." He smirked and Mercedes smiled, clapping her hands excitedly.

"Don't taint this chicken with your horrible personality Jason Wick. You may be easy on the eyes, but we all know you're secretly psycho and a member of the Mafia." Santana chimed in. Hunter gave her the finger, getting up from his seat without another word. 

"Wait, I thought John Wick was part of the Russian Mafia." Tina whispered to her boyfriend slightly confused. Mike huffed, smiling and placing an arm around her. He kissed her cheek before confirming she was right. The couple stood up following Hunter's lead to head back to the precinct. Tina went on about how Santana's insult didn't make much sense if he wasn't in the Russian Mafia. Santana explained that her insults didn't always need to make sense as long as people got offended, which nine times out of ten they did. Mercedes and Sam followed rising from their seats.

"Those are your friends." She stated, and the blonde laughed, shaking his head as they made their way back to the building hand in hand. 

_______________________________

Six hours later, Sam had made his way to his and Mercedes' shared apartment. His back was tense again, and was ready for the hottest shower he could muster before they headed out for Karaoke Night. Sam opened the front door to the apartment, smiling to himself as he heard Beyonce's Sorry blasting through the speakers with his girl singing along. He followed her voice to their bedroom, leaning against the door frame and watching her as she sat at her vanity doing her makeup. Mercedes' eyes met his in the mirror, and her smile brightened.

"Hey baby! I didn't hear you come in." She turned the music down a bit as the song changed. Sam stood there for a few more seconds and then walked over, standing behind her chair. He bent down, placing a kiss to her hair before resting his chin on top of her head, and looking at her reflection in the mirror. 

"Do you know how beautiful you are?" He asked quietly. Mercedes' eyes sparkled at the question. 

"How could I not when you tell me everyday."

"Well it's true, mi amore. I cannot tell a lie." Sam spoke in his best impression of George Washington, getting a giggle out of his girl. He kissed her once more. "That's all I ever want is to hear you laugh and see you smile." 

Mercedes continued to fix her makeup as the blonde moved to the bathroom, closing the door and turning on the shower as hot as he could take it. Steam quickly filled the small room as he stripped out of his work clothes and stepped in the shower. 

Sam stood fully under the water, letting it cascade through his hair and down his toned body. He felt his muscles start to relax from the water and heat and let out a heavy sigh. He stood under the water for a few more minutes as the tension left his back before washing his hair and body clean. 

Sam finished, stepping out of the shower, drying off, running a towel through his wet hair, and wrapping one around his waist. Stepping out of the steam filled room, he went back to the bedroom to their closet, grabbing a pair of dark wash jeans and a black v-neck. He finished getting ready, dressing and running the blow dryer through his hair. Checking himself out in the full length mirror, satisfied with his look for the night, he met his girl in the living room letting out a low whistle at the sight of her.

"Damn ma, where you goin' lookin' that sexy?" Mercedes smiled, twirling around in her black high heeled boots, black skinny jeans and cream colored lantern sleeve babydoll top. Her blunt cut lace front wig accentuated her cheekbones, and her makeup was flawless with a nude lip. Her only jewelry for the night was her ring and the rose gold diamond earrings Sam had gotten her for her last birthday.

"You like?"

"I love." He confirmed, twirling her once more and bringing her to his chest. Sam started humming Ne-Yo's Sexy Love swaying to the beat. The couple danced together for a minute, pulling apart when Mercedes' phone rang. She quickly picked it up, answering. He could hear Santana on the other end asking where they were. Mercedes finished talking to the other woman, grabbing her purse and jacket, and Sam grabbed his things before the two headed out.  
_______________________________

Karaoke Dokie was a nice upscale karaoke bar, despite the name. There was a large bar in the back with slick, black granite countertops, black and white alternating barstools, and a grand glass display of all the alcohol that they offered. There were high top tables with the same black granite tabletops and white chairs and a few white booths against the walls. At the front was the large stage with white and blue stage lights, speakers on each side, and a couple mic stands in the center. The TV monitors hung from the ceiling a distance in front of the stage to display the song lyrics.

Sam and Mercedes made their way into the bar with the large crowd that was typical for the monthly karaoke contest. Spotting their friends, Mercedes led with Sam following as his hand rested at the small of her back. Kurt and Tina smiled waving them over. Blaine, Mike, Tina and Kurt sat at one of the large booths with drinks in hand. 

"About time you two got here. The contest is about to start, and Tina and I were waiting on you so we could pick a song to do together." Kurt stated, hugging Mercedes and grabbing her hand tugging her in the direction of the song selection to go sign up.

"Can you order the usual babe?" The blonde man nodded, heading to the bar for their drinks and much needed food since he'd skipped dinner. Mercedes, Kurt and Tina discussed which song they would sing while walking to the front. Brittany, Santana, Sugar and Sebastian were scrolling through songs on one of the large iPads that were set up. The trio moved to one unoccupied scrolling through choices. "Hey Sugar, glad you came girly!"

The two hugged in greeting as well as her and Sabastian. They all went through and selected the songs they were going to sing before signing up with their group names for said songs.

"Alright ladies, we've gotta make this performance sexy. Leave the crowd wanting more." Kurt pretended to flip his hair over his shoulder causing Tina and Mercedes to roll their eyes good natured. "I mean we're always sexy, even when we're in our work uniforms, but tonight we've gotta make this, in the words of Queen B, flawless." The trio did their signature handshake then made their way back to their table, joining the rest of the group. Mercedes pulled Sugar to the side.

"I have someone I want you to meet."

"Another someone, I thought I'd met all your friends already."

"Well he's my cousin. Cousin-in-law technically, or he will be once Sam and I get married." Mercedes waved off the technicality of things as she continued. "His name's Hunter and he's a little rough around the edges, but once you get to know him, he's really sweet." Sugar huffed, she did not come out tonight to be set up with some strange guy. 

"Cede, I don't know about this." The petite woman crossed her arms looking down at her red heels." My last boyfriend and I had a really horrible breakup, and I don't know if I'm ready to 'meet someone.'" Mercedes pulled the smaller girl to her side, wrapping an arm around her waist. She advised she wouldn't push it, and just let nature take its course.

Before long, everybody was working on their second or third drink, and some horrible singing had occurred before their friend group started performing. Brittany was up first, wanting to perform solo for the night. Her rendition of Britney Spears' Gimme More had the crowd hyped with a chorus of catcalls and whistling as she danced and sang. Santana was the loudest announcing to everyone that was her girlfriend up there. The blonde took a bow when she was finished, saying a quick thank you to New York before making her way back to her seat and kissing her girlfriend.

Sebastian, Santana and Sugar performed Ed Sheeran's South of the Border, and though Sugar wasn't any good at singing, she was actually a pretty decent rapper to everyone's surprise. Everyone sang and danced along giving a large round of applause when they finished, and Santana gave the new girl a pat on the shoulder after making it back to the table.

"I'm impressed Zooey Deschanel. You may not be able to sing for shit, but your rapping didn't make me want to shoot you, so I'll let you stick around."

The group was silent for a minute,shocked at Santana's choice of words. The latina quickly realized she shouldn't have said what she did, slumping in her seat and crossing her arms. She looked at her friend, silently apologizing. Sam shrugged, giving her a small smile. He'd been shot, there was not changing that, but he wasn't the first guy to get shot, and he certainly wouldn't be the last. Sam was just grateful to be alive. With everybody either staring at him or avoiding him completely, he decided to break the silence. 

"How 'bout another round of drinks on me?" He stood up, but Mercedes grabbed his hand to stop him from leaving. 

"Sam-"

"I'm fine babe, really." He looked at his friends, sighing at the change in mood. Another tone deaf person was singing in the background. "Come on guys, lighten up! It was a joke. Santana didn't mean anything by it, and I'm good! Plus I'm offering to buy you all drinks, so you better take me up on my offer before I change my mind."

"Hell, I never pass up a free drink." Sebastian spoke up. "I'll take another Jack and Coke." The rest of the group took that as their queue. Sam got all their drink orders before heading to the bar. Finding a clear spot on the counter, he leaned against the jet black granite, waiting for one of the bartenders to acknowledge him. Mike came up beside him sticking his hands in the pockets of his jeans. The two stood there for a minute in silence amongst themselves, the chattering from the other patrons going unnoticed. 

"I'm fine Mike."

The bartender came up getting the drink orders and starting on the cocktails. Mike turned, leaning his back against the edge of the counter, and looking at his best friend.

"You've been saying that a lot you know." Sam started to speak, and Mike held up a hand to stop him. "I know there are people you have to be strong for. Mercedes, Stacy, your mom, the list goes on, but I want you to know that I'm always here if you want to talk. You're my brother, and I know I don't say it all the time, but it goes unspoken that I care about you. You complete me." Mike drew a heart in the air getting a chuckle from the blonde.

"You're crazy, you know that?"

"Crazy about you!" The darker man joked, putting the other man in a headlock. Sam let out another laugh, pushing Mike off of him. They straightened up just as the bartender brought their drinks on two trays. Each man grabbed a tray, heading back to the group. They passed out the drinks and sat back down just as the MC called the Italian Stallionz to the stage. Hunter stood up from his seat patting his cousin's shoulder. 

"Come on Sammy Boy, I sighed us up to sing that stupid Jonas Brothers song you like so much,Lollipop or whatever."  
The girls, including Kurt all laughed as Sam got up following Hunter to the stage.

Mercedes hollered and clapped the loudest when the song was over. The duo stepped off the stage. Mercedes met Sam halfway giving him a hug and a kiss. "That was pretty sexy, you swaggering across the stage like that." She brushed her fingers along the lower part of his stomach just above his belted jeans. Sam raised a brow watching her as she swept her small hand across his stomach once more. His girl was definitely tipsy. He watched the sway of her backside as she sauntered to the stage. The trio was up next.

Mercedes turned with mic in hand, winking at her man as the music started. She began to sing the chorus to Camila Cabello's Havana. The trio danced taking turns singing lead. Sam's eyes stayed on her the entire time watching the sway of her hips. He hadn't even realized the song was over until the cheers of the crowd broke him out of his lust filled thoughts. She moved back to the spot in front of him, standing there with a smile playing on her lips, and looked up at him with glossy eyes.

"How 'bout we call it a night. I wanna go home and spend time with just you." Mercedes tugged at the hem of his shirt, and Sam got the hint. He quickly nodded, interlocking their hands and heading back to the table. Sam downed the rest of his drink, putting on his jacket and saying a quick goodbye to their friends. Mercedes grabbed her things, giggling as her fiancé gently pulled her along.

In a dark corner of the bar sat a man, with dark hair and enticing blue eyes,watching the group of friends. "So beautiful" he whispered, taking a swig of his drink. The burn from the alcohol swimming down his utterly satisfying. 

_______________________________

They were barely in the door of their apartment when Sam gently pushed Mercedes up against the wall capturing her lips with his. His hands rested on her waist, holding her in place as she ran her small hands along his biceps. Mercedes ran her tongue over his bottom lip, silently asking for entrance to which he happily granted. The kisses turned slightly more heated as they competed for dominance.

Sam tasted of mint and a hint of Cognac from his drinks earlier, and his scent of ember and pine intoxicated her, making the buzz she had going even more potent. He did that thing with his tongue, that she loved so much, but could never figure out how he did it just that he was damn good at it. She moaned in response, and Sam pressed his body firmly against hers, letting Mercedes feel the effect she had on him. When air became necessary, they separated with Sam moving to lick and nibble at the spot just below the tattoo she had of his initials S.A.E in perfect cursive.

"Oh Sammy" Her hands moved to his hair, running her fingers through his short, blonde locks. He let out a moan of his own at the nickname. Sam loved it when she called him that. In one swift motion, his hands moved down her ass to the back of her thighs hoisting her up. Mercedes wrapped her legs around his waist, grinding her heat into him. However, she quickly stopped, thinking about his injury. "Baby, your back." It came out breathy and uncontrolled as Sam continued his assault on her neck. His brain took a few seconds to process what she'd said before responding.

"I'm good, bella. Lo prometto." Fuck he was so damn sexy when he spoke Italian. Her mind went foggy, and she forgot what she'd said to begin with. Sam kissed down her jaw, making his way back to her lips. "Ho bisogno di te adesso." He whispered against her lips.

"I need you too." Mercedes closed the small distance between them, kissing him nice and slow, getting another moan out of him. Sam moved them away from the wall, carrying her to their bedroom on autopilot.

Once his knees hit the bed, he laid her down, laying on top and grinding his manhood into her warm, wet center. "You've got too many clothes on." Mercedes peppered kisses down his jawline and neck as his hands went to work getting her jeans undone. Soon clothes were tossed across the room and skin made contact with skin. 

Sam hovered over his girl, looking down at her with love radiating off of him in waves. He'd never understand how he got so lucky as to have her as his.

"Sei così bella mi amore." Dark green locked with brown as he entered her. They moaned in unison at the feel of each other. They stayed like that for a minute, unmoving just enjoying the feel of each other until Mercedes signaled she wanted more with a swirl of her hips. Sam laced their fingers together as he started moving,getting a steady rhythm going, pressing sweet kisses in the crook of her neck only going faster when she whispered for him to.

"Oh god,Sammy!" He knew he'd that special spot when she screamed his name. He repeated the motio, making her moan even louder as their bodies rocked together. 

"Ti piace quella bella?"

"Y-yes" Her voice was strained as pleasure rippled through her body. Needing to touch him, Mercedes disconnected their hands, bringing one to roam along the muscles in Sam's back and the other cradling his head.

"Dillo in Italiano mi amore."

Mercedes was having a hard time processing as Sam continued to hit her spot over and over again. "Sì" she breathed out, placing a trail of kisses down his neck and along his collar bone just above his tattoo of her name. After that, the blonde's strokes became more frantic, pumping into her a few more times before the couple climaxed in unison moaning each other's names.

Sam relaxed, spent, and rested on top of his girl being careful not to crush her. Mercedes held him there as they both walked themselves to get control of their breathing again. She placed a kiss on his temple murmuring I love you softly.

Minutes later, they separated long enough to get under the covers. Sam laid on his back and Mercedes cuddled up to him placing her head on his chest, wrapping an arm around his waist lazily. It was quiet for a while, and the blonde's eyelids were getting heavier by the second, until her voice filled the space.

"God, I love it when you fuck me in Italian." That did it, his girl rarely used the f word, so Sam knew she was still a little buzzed. He let out a deep belly laugh that echoed through Mercedes' ear that was pressed up against him. She smiled, lifting her head to look at her man. He was so beautiful, and she was grateful he was blessed to be alive and here in this moment with her. "And I love hearing you laugh. It's music to my ears."

Sam's laughing subsided, and he noticed the glisten in her beautiful brown eyes. A tightness grew in his chest and he raised a hand, cupping her cheek and thumbing away the lone tear that fell. "It's gonna be okay, baby. I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

Mercedes nodded, turning to kiss the palm of his hand, and placing another kiss over his heart before resting her head on his chest again. She wrapped her arm around him a little tighter, letting the rhythm of his beating heart lull her to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, tell me what you think. What's the deal with blue eyed guy? Anyone think they have a hint to what's going on? 
> 
> Also, I feel like I suck at writing sex scenes, so sorry if it actually did suck lol.  
> Oh, and I don't speak Italian, Google translate is my friend.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely readers! Here's another chapter for you. I hope you enjoy!

The incessant ringing of his cellphone woke Sam from his slumber. With eyes still closed, he stuck a hand out, groping the top of the nightstand trying to locate the small device. The ringing stopped, and Sam let out a deep breath, turning on his side and slowly falling back asleep. Not even a minute later, the ringing started again.

"Turn it off." Mercedes whined, nudging him, and placing her pillow over her head to block out the noise.Sam sighed, getting out of bed to find his phone. Following the sound, he finally located it in his jeans that had been tossed to the floor the night before. Without looking at the caller ID, the blonde answered, slightly irritated.

"What?" He sharply whispered into the phone, stepping out of the bedroom as not to disturb Mercedes anymore than she had been already.

"I know it's supposed to be your day off, mine too, but we've got another body." Mike spoke into the receiver. 

"What the hell?" Sam let his partner know he'd be at the crime scene in half an hour before disconnecting the call. He checked the time on his phone, 4:25 am flashed on the screen. He headed to the bathroom for a quick shower, wrapping a towel low around his waist. Brushing his teeth and combing his hair to make himself look decent enough, Sam moved back to the bedroom, grabbing a pair of boxer briefs out of his dresser drawer, before quietly opening the sliding door to his side of their shared closet. He slid his underwater and jeans on, buttoning them up, just as Mercedes stared awake.

"Babe, come back to bed." She whispered. The street lights dimly illuminated the room, and Sam could see Mercedes watching him. T-shirt in hand, he walked over to her side of the bed, kneeling down in front of her.

"I have to go to work for a couple hours, baby." He told her softly. A small frown graced Mercedes' face, but she nodded, bunching her pillow under her head looking back at him. They were supposed to spend the day together

"Fine" She huffed, not upset, but a little disappointed. "But you have to make breakfast when you get back."

Sam gave her a small smile. "I will make you breakfast and serve it to you in bed." He one upped her, placing a kiss in the crook of her neck and whispering I love you to her in Italian, sending a shiver down her spine. Urging her to go back to sleep, Sam finished getting dressed, grabbing everything he needed before heading out.

______________________________

"The victim is Brianna Thompson. She was killed the same exact way as Sarah Martinez." Mike informed Sam as he made his way to the scene, ducking under the familiar yellow tape that blocked off the area. He flashed his gold shield to the uniformed officer securing the location. The flashing red and blue lights illuminated the area along with the few street lights in the alleyway.

The duo made their way to where the body was. The young woman had been left by the dumpster just like before. There were marks on her neck from being strangled and a deep gash on her head. Dark purple marks painted her legs and arms, as well as a few cuts. From the looks of it, she fought back against her killer.

The Medical Examiner was preparing to move the body. Her belongings that had been with her at the time were gathered and put in a plastic bag. Her phone battery was low at nine percent, but Mike quickly scrolled through it, checking to see who was last to text or call her. 

"Twenty missed calls and fourteen texts." He told Sam. "Most of them from a guy named Noah Puckerman who I'm guessing is the boyfriend." 

"I say we pay him a little visit." Sam and Mike headed off to find out where this guy lived.

_______________________________

Pulling up to the brownstone where Noah Puckerman resided, according to city records. The partners got out of the car, heading up the few steps to the front door. The light of day was beginning to show. Sam rapped his knuckles against the door, and they stood waiting. After no answer, he knocked again, louder this time. A few seconds later, the door opened to reveal a young man, shirtless, in a pair of sweats rubbing sleep from his eyes. 

"Noah Puckerman?"

"Who's askin'?" The man questioned, his voice gruff from sleep.

"I'm Detective Evans, and this is my partner Detective Chang. We're here to talk to you about Brianna Thompson." The two showed their gold shields identifying themselves.

Noah took in a sharp breath, already knowing it before they said it. "She's dead isn't she?"

"I'm afraid so Mr. Puckerman. wWe just need to ask you some questions. Is it alright if we come in?" Mike inquired, and the other man nodded, moving aside to let them in. They followed Noah into his living room and he motioned for them to take a seat on the couch. He sat down across from them in the large chair. His leg started bouncing uncontrollably, and he ran a hand quickly over his face, swiping at the stray tears that fell.

"Fuck" Noah cursed pinching the bridge of his nose willing himself to gain his composure again.

"If you need a minute…" Sam started. Noah shook his head, clearing his throat. They asked him a series of questions, getting information about the day she went missing, and the last time he'd seen or talked to her. Noah stated he had been at work at the time she was taken, and he advised that his coworkers could vouch for him.

"I know I have a few priors. Went to juvie a couple times when I was a teen, but I grew up. I would never hurt Brianna. I love...loved her." Noah corrected, willing himself to face reality. "Was even gonna ask her to marry me. Bought the ring and everything."

Both detectives knew what it was like to be a man in love. However, that didn't rule him out until they got confirmation about his whereabouts on the day Brianna Thompson went missing. After finishing up their questioning, Mike and Sam advised Noah not to go anywhere out of town until he was completely cleared. Next, they'd to talk to her friend's and family.

_______________________________

It was a little after eleven am when Sam made it back home. With grocery bags in hand, he made his way in to find Mercedes sitting on the couch in black leggings and an oversized NYU t-shirt. She'd straightened her natural hair, and placed it in a messy bun on top of her head with a few stray aways framing her face that was free of makeup. She was painting her toenails and watching Moana when he walked in.

"Hey Merce"

Mercedes looked up giving him a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Hey" She went back to focusing on the task at hand as she ran the mini paint brush over her toes making them a dark plum purple.

Sam sighed, moving across the room to get to the kitchen. Placing the bags on the counter, he started unloading them, spreading the contents on the counter in front of him. "I know I said I'd be back in a couple hours, but-"

"A couple means two, Sam. You know that, right? You and I are a couple. One, two" She held up two fingers for emphasis. "is a couple."

"I know that babe-"

"I waited for you until around nine, then I gave up cuz I was hungry, so I went ahead and ate breakfast. You could have called or texted you know." Mercedes informed, more than a little irritated. 

Sam stopped what he was doing in the kitchen, making his way back to the living room. She had just finished painting her toes, setting her feet down on the floor, slowly, as she waited for them to dry. He kneeled down in front of her, settling himself between her legs. She spread her legs a little more, making room as she murmured for him not to mess up her nail polish.

"I won't." Sam responded, placing an arm on either side of Mercedes, blocking her in. "I'm sorry for not calling, and I'm sorry for being late, but I have a feeling that's not really why you're upset right now." He stated, looking her in the eyes. 

Mercedes looked down, focusing on her hands as she fiddled with the hem of her t-shirt. " I watched the news earlier." She picked some lint off her leggings before looking back at her fiancé. "The woman that was found murdered early this morning, she's your case, isn't she?" 

Sam nodded, and Mercedes sighed. He didn't want to tell her that it wasn't just a homicide, and that he and Mike were now in search of a serial killer, since whoever killed Brianna Thompson also killed Sarah Martinez.

"Starting tomorrow, Mike and I are working round the clock until we find the person responsible." It was Mercedes' turn to nod. Unwillingly, she felt her face getting hot, a knot formed in her throat, and her eyes burned with tears. "Hey, hey, hey, sweetheart, why are you crying?"

Mercedes quickly brought her hands up, wiping her streaming tears. Sam ran his large hands slowly up and down her thighs, bringing some comfort. "I c-can't protect you." She told him through hitched breaths. The blonde frowned, bringing his hands to cover her smaller ones. He gently removed them from her tear stained face. Her eyes were red now from all the tears, and she closed them to stop any more tears from falling. 

"Protect me from what, bella?" Sam asked softly, holding her hands and rubbing small circles on the back of the with his thumbs. Mercedes took a deep breath attempting to clear her head of the unwanted thoughts of seeing her love in the hospital, bloody and pale and unmoving. The thought of that horrible monotone sound of the heart monitor when his heart stopped beating. Mercedes couldn't protect him then, and she couldn't protect him now. There was a damn murderer out there somewhere that he was seeking out for goodness sake.

"I can't protect you from all the bad things." She confessed aloud, opening her eyes again. The last of her tears fell as she blinked them away. "When you were home recovering, I had some peace of mind knowing you were protected, but I don't have that anymore. You haven't even been back a full week yet, and you're already chasing after a damn killer!" Mercedes' shoulders slumped as she looked Sam in the eyes again.

"Oh baby, I'm sorry I put you through all of that." Sam spoke, bringing his hands up to cup her face, wiping the remaining tears away. He hadn't realized that him returning back to work had affected her so much. His own eyes were now tinged pink. He hated seeing his girl cry.

Mercedes shrugged at his words. "It's not your fault, my love." She reached up, wiping the few stray tears that fell from his eyes. "I knew what I was getting myself into when I started dating this really hot cop six years ago." He let out a snort, laughing a little, and Mercedes smiled. This time it reached her eyes. "Just be careful, okay. I plan to marry you in seven months."

Sam smiled, leaning in to plant a kiss to her lips. "I can't wait 'til you're officially Mrs. Evans." He whispered against her lips. Mercedes kissed him once more before pulling away, and stating how Sam's gun had been poking her in the leg for the past five minutes. 

"That ain't my gun, baby." He told her with a smirk, and she let out a loud laugh, playfully pushing him away.

"Boy, you play too much. Now go make breakfast or lunch or brunch like you said you would." Sam kissed her one more time, giving her a yes ma'am before standing up and heading back to the kitchen.

Mercedes continued painting her nails as he cooked, making brunch for both of them. Sam had gone to the bakery a couple blocks from their apartment and gotten those cinnamon apple croissants that she loved so much. He made waffles, sausage, scrambled eggs, and cut up some fresh fruit. When everything was done, Sam made a plate with a little bit of everything on it, poured two glasses of orange juice, and put it all on a tray before heading back to join Mercedes in the living room.

The two shared the plate of food with Sam feeding Mercedes as she waited for her nails to dry. They finished watching the movie, and ate, afterwards cleaning up a bit around the apartment before settling back on the couch. Mercedes sat on the end of the couch, making room for Sam to lie down placing his head in her lap.

"Wanna go over wedding plans with me?" The diva asked, holding up her binder where she'd been collecting all of the things for their wedding. Sam nodded, moving around a bit to get more comfortable. Once he was settled, Mercedes placed the binder on his chest opening it. "First things first, who's gonna be your best man?"

"Stevie" She made a note in her book, writing Stevie's name next to Tina's since she would be her maid of honor. She noted everyone that would be in their wedding party, making sure everyone had a partner to walk down the aisle with.

"Okay, our wedding colors are burgundy, champagne, blush and navy. The girl's dresses are gonna be burgundy, so I figured the boys will wear navy with burgundy accents." Mercedes looked down at Sam for his opinion. He nodded agreeing with what she said. The young woman sighed, jotting down more notes. "Come on babe, it's your wedding too. There must be something special you want. Tell me, and I'll make it happen."

Sam thought about it for a minute before answering. "I want a groom's cake, and…" She jotted down a note about the cake, waiting for him to continue. When he paused, Mercedes looked down at him.

"And…"

"On our wedding night, I wanna put a baby in you." Sam told her with a straight face.

Mercedes covered her face with her hand hiding a smile. "Are you serious?"

"As a heart attack." He confirmed, staring up at her with his head still resting in her lap. A small smile played at his own lips as he watched her. She thought about it for a minute before brown met green. His eyes were sparkling as he waited for her response.

"You really wanna have a baby right after we get married?" Sam nodded again, taking her free hand in his and lacing their fingers together. The contrast in their skin tones warmed his heart. He wanted a little version of them running around, a perfect mix of him and her.

"I do, but only if you want to as well." Those hopeful sage eyes stared deep into her soul. For as long as Mercedes had known him, she had been unable to deny those gorgeous hues of his.

"Alright Evans, looks like after we get married, we should start planning for a little one." Sam's smile grew and Mercedes couldn't help her own smile. He kissed her hand, and the diva made a mental note on when she'd have to stop taking her birth control. She jotted a few other things in the binder, and the blonde silently watched her for a while before breaking the silence.

"Do you remember when we first met?"

Mercedes finished what she was writing, thinking back to the day they met. "Now how could I ever forget the day I saw the most beautiful green eyes I'd ever seen before, hmm?"

_______________________________

6 ½ Years Ago

"I'm telling you, man, this is the best hole in the wall café I have ever been to. You'll wind up coming here more than once after today, trust me." Officer Artie Abrams told Sam. He and Artie had been partners for the past month. They were still getting to know each other, but the blonde could already tell the other man was going to be ten times better than his previous partner who'd recently been suspended indefinitely.

The two were currently on their lunch break, and since they had already been in the neighborhood, the shorter man suggested they have lunch at what he deemed the best damn café in NYC, A Cuppa Joe. After parking and getting out of the squad car. Artie and Sam made their way into the small café. There was a good amount of people sitting and enjoying their food and drinks. Jazzy music played softly through the speakers, and the scents of coffee and what Sam was one hundred percent sure was warm apple pie, filled the room giving it a warm, relaxing atmosphere.

Both officers chatted as they stood in line waiting for their turn to order. A few minutes later, they stepped up to the counter, prepared to order. However, what Sam wasn't prepared for was the site of the gorgeous girl standing behind the counter. She had the most beautiful brown skin he'd ever seen, and her mocha colored eyes were bright and shining. She smiled at them, and Sam swore his heart stopped. 

"Hey Artie! What can I getcha?"

"The usual Cede, and whatever Officer Evans is having." Mercedes entered Artie's regular order in the computer, then turned looking at the tall blonde expectantly. Sam just stood there staring at her, and Mercedes couldn't help but admire the man in front of her. He was definitely handsome. His navy blue police uniform fit him in all the right places, especially with the way the short sleeves of his shirt hugged his biceps. The blonde bangs that hung just above his eyes, made him look younger than he probably was, and those eyes were the most gorgeous shade of green she'd ever seen. 

Mercedes snapped out of her daze. "What can I get you, officer?"

Artie nudged the other man when he didn't respond right away, knocking Sam out of his thoughts.

"Oh! Um…" He looked up at the menu above her head that had been written in colorful chalk and perfect penmanship, and Sam wondered if that was her perfect handwriting. His mind went blank on everything else, including what he'd previously had in mind to order. He looked back to the gorgeous girl in front of him. "I-I, uh...what do you- what's your favorite thing on the menu?" Sam stuttered out, mentally punching himself for sounding like a complete idiot. Artie snorted, amused with the scene playing out in front of him. Mercedes couldn't help the small giggle that came out as she watched the man in front of her.

"The turkey, bacon, and avocado melt is really good. It has tomato and mozzarella on it as well. And you look like a guy who likes mozzarella." Mercedes joked, winking at him.

Sam let out a small laugh in response.  
"Sounds good, I'll have that and a coffee."

Mercedes nodded, putting their order in and handing them the number for their table. She let them know she'd bring the coffee to their table when it was ready before turning towards the coffee machine. Sam's gaze lingered on her amazing backside for a few moments before Artie snapped his fingers in front of the man's face, nodding to an empty table by the window. The duo sat down as they waited for their meals with Sam glancing across the café every so often. When their coffee was ready, Mercedes brought it over letting them know their food would be out as soon as it was ready.

"Thank you!" Sam spoke a little too loud, but Mercedes smiled, going to check on the other customers.

Artie put sugar and cream in his coffee as he eyed his partner. "Someone's got it bad." He sing-songed.

"Huh?" The blonde brought his attention back to the man in front of him.

"Mercedes, man, I mean I don't blame you. Baby girl is fine as hell."

Sam took a drink of his coffee, letting the warm liquid ease down his throat. "Yeah, she's gorgeous."

"And smart. She goes to NYU." The brunette informed as the other man raised an eyebrow inquiring how he knew that. 

"Mercedes and my girl are roommates...she also happens to be single." Artie wiggled his eyebrows causing Sam to shake his head with a smile. 

The young woman brought over their food. Checking to make sure they didn't need anything else. Artie asked for the check, but the brown skinned woman advised lunch was on her today for her two favorite cops, along with two slices of apple pie if they wanted. Neither man was willing to turn down apple pie, so as they ate their lunch, Mercedes went to grab a couple slices of, still warm from the oven, apple pie.

"Here ya go boys. Two slices of the best apple pie this side of the Mississippi. At least that's what my Granny says anyway." She put the dessert plates in front of them, clearing the empty ones out of the way she eyed the blonde once more, sticking her hand out for him to shake.

"I'm Mercedes by the way."

"Sam" He responded,taking her hand in his. The two shook hands a little longer than Artie thought was necessary, but he smirked, silently eating his pie.

"Nice to meet you Sam." Mercedes reminded him not to be a stranger. Though she was certain she'd be seeing the blonde again. Everyone who ate there always came back.

A call came through on their radios, just as Artie and Sam finished their dessert, urging the two to their feet, heading for the door. Mercedes waved to them as they headed out, and Sam waved back with a smile. Yeah, he would definitely be coming back.

_______________________________

Present Day

Family Dinner for the De Luca family was like going to church on Sunday, or breathing air everyday. It just was. For generations, everyone in the family would get together every Sunday evening to enjoy food and family. Bianca De Luca knew that her grandkids, for the most part, had stopped going to church every Sunday like they should, but none of them would ever miss a family meal. No matter what was going on in their lives. Even when Sam was in the hospital, they'd all gathered together in his room. Much to the dismay of the hospital staff, but Mercedes had some pull since she worked there.

With twenty-eight years of being a grandmother, and fifty-two years of being a mother, Bianca De Luca, at seventy-five, couldn't remember what life was like when she wasn't taking care of someone in some way. Having grown up in Florence, Italy, she loved everything about her country, but when she'd met Antonio De Luca one summer when she was just twenty years old, she knew he was the love of her life. 

Antonio had been visiting Florence from America that summer. He spoke perfect Italian given that his parents, both immigrants from Sicily, had taught him. Bianca knew she loved him instantly after those three months they'd spent together. So when he asked her to marry him and come back to America with him, she agreed. It had been hard leaving her family and friends and all she'd known for the first twenty years of her life, but she knew she was making the right decision.

Antonio and Bianca were married two months later, and living in New York City. It was a culture shock for her for a time, but she got used to it, and became accustomed to American city life. One year later, Antonio joined the Police Academy, and two years after that, their first daughter Mariana (Mary) was born. Then a year and a half later Luciana (Lucy) came along. For a while, they didn't have much in money, but they were happy.

Over the years, her girls had grown, and eventually found their own loves. Mary had become a lawyer, and Lucy was an interior designer. The summer after her senior year of college, Mary had gotten married to her longtime boyfriend Dwight Evans. 

Being more of a free spirit, Lucy and Robert Clarington had gotten married at the courthouse on a whim right after he proposed to her. The two girls were completely different, yet still best friends, so much so that they both married cops and had their babies around the same time.

Lucy's little bundle of joy came first. Nine months after she'd gotten married, Hunter was born. He was the first grandbaby, and from the day Bianca met him, she knew he'd be a little troublemaker. Then Sam was born. He was the one who tried to follow the rules, and Hunter was the one who always got them into some kind of trouble. And then there was Mike, who wasn't her biological grandson, but might as well have been. He was the quiet one, and always thoughtful. Then along came Stevie. He was the sneaky one, always getting into something he shouldn't be. And Stacy was as bubbly as they came, her only granddaughter. That is until Mercedes and Tina came into the picture. Though Bianca had to leave a majority of her family in Italy, her American family was just as lovely.

"Mamma a cosa stai pensando?" Lucy questioned, breaking the older woman out of her thoughts. Bianca, Mary, Lucy, Stacy and Tina were in the kitchen preparing the food for dinner. Tina and Stacy were working on the salad, Mary the bread, and Lucy the dessert. With the older woman making two large pans of her famous lasagna. 

Bianca smiled answering her daughter in her Italian accent. "You, my sweet girl, and all my many blessings." She kissed her youngest on the cheek before getting back to work, putting the pans of lasagna in the oven.

"Nonna, Tina and I are finished with the salad. Can I go watch the game now? I still don't see how it's fair that the boys get to sit around doing nothing while us women slave in the kitchen." Stacy spoke dramatically.

Nonna playfully rolled her eyes moving to stand in front of her granddaughter. "Bambina, go watch the game, and send Hunter and Stefano in here. It's only fair I trade two for two. You are free to go as well T." She placed a kiss on each girl's cheek in thanks, and both young women left with smiles on their faces going to find Hunter and Stevie.

Mary stood at the counter cutting dough into slices for breadsticks. She shook her head at her daughter's antics, smiling nonetheless. "You spoil them Mamma."

"Of course I do, mi cara. They are my grandchildren, so I am supposed to,no?" 

Mary shrugged as she continued her task, just as her youngest son and nephew walked in.

"You rang, Nonna?" Hunter spoke before finishing off the beer in his hand. He tossed the empty bottle in the trash, leaning against the counter. Stevie followed suit, sneaking a crouton off the top of the salad.

"Stop, Stefano, nobody wants your dirty hands touching their food!" Lucy exclaimed, smacking her nephew's hand away from the bowl. Stevie argued that his hands were clean before popping the small garlic cube in his mouth.

Nonna ordered both young men to wash their hands and help with the rest of the food. Stevie moved to help his aunt with dessert, and Hunter did the same with the breadsticks, with no complaints. 

"You two are my favorites, you know."  
Nonna smiled, going to Stevie, hugging him and pulling his head down to plant a kiss to his cheek. She did the same to Hunter just as the front door to her house opened. A few seconds later, Sam and Mercedes appeared in the kitchen doorway greeting everyone. Kisses and hugs were exchanged. Stevie hugged Mercedes, making sure not to get his flour covered hands on her before stepping back and not so subtly checking her out.

"Now, Cede, when you gonna dump my brother and get with me, huh? You know I've been in love with you since I was fourteen. I even proposed to you before he did!" Stevie grinned, flashing his pearly whites. He had the same blonde hair as Sam, but it was cut shorter. He was just as tall as his older brother with similar build and full lips, though not as full as the other man's. His eyes were a golden hazel. Stevie was handsome in his own right at twenty-one years old.

"I told you Stevie, I can't have all the girls jealous of me. What kinda selfish woman would I be keeping both Evans men for myself, hmm?" Mercedes eyes sparkled playfully at her future brother- in-law.

"I wouldn't mind it- Ow!" The younger man exclaimed, receiving a smack to the back of the head from Sam.

"Stop flirting with my fiancé. Don't you have a girlfriend?" The older man questioned as he took a couple croutons off the top of the salad and ate them.

"Oh my god, what is with you guys? This food is for everyone, Samuel. Keep your nasty hands away!" Lucy snipped, taking the salad and placing it in the fridge away from prying hands.

Sam shrugged, moving to the fridge to grab a beer. He closed the refrigerator door before popping the cap off. However, before he could take a sip, Nonna grabbed the bottle from his hand. He frowned looking down at her.

"You should not be drinking bambino. You are too skinny." Hunter and Stevie started cracking up at their grandmother's choice of words. "Silenzio, you two!" Both men stopped laughing immediately.

Sam rolled his eyes at them. Straightening up when his grandmother looked back at him. "Nonna I-"

"I am serious nipote, you have lost weight these past few months, and you need to eat more and drink less."

Sam looked to Mercedes for help, but she shrugged, not disagreeing with the older woman. He had lost weight since he was in the hospital, and even though he had gained it back, Sam was still smaller than he had been before he'd gotten shot. He gave up on trying to drink the beer, Stevie took it instead as the younger man finished his task. Mercedes was pulled away by Tina and Stacy who'd come in search of her once they heard the two walk in the house, so Sam decided to head to the den where he knew and his Uncle Rob were watching the football game.

"No beer?" Mike questioned the other man as he took a seat on the couch.

"I've been cut off until I gain another five pounds." Sam informed. His uncle chuckled, reaching into the mini fridge and handing the younger man a Michelob Ultra. The blonde smiled, thanking him as he popped the cap, taking a drink.

"How ya feelin' kid?"

"I'm good Uncle Rob. Just getting back into the swing of things." Sam leaned back against the couch, running a hand through his hair. Robert eyed the younger man before letting him know that if he ever needed to talk, Sam knew where to find him. 

His nephew had been through a lot over the past two years, with his father dying and then almost dying himself. They say bad things come in threes, and Robert was praying that wasn't true because he didn't know if they would be able to handle anything else.

About an hour later, dinner was ready, and the group gathered around the dining room table filled with food, and everyone found their seats. Nonna said grace, thanking God for everyone at the table, and praying for those whom they'd lost. 

"Mangiamo!" She announced as they all started passing food around the table happily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it. Bext update will have more detective work. Remember kudos and comments are love!


	5. Chapter 5

Hello lovely readers! Back again with an update for you.

Thank you to all who added this story to your favorites and alerts since last chapter. You guys are awesome, and I'm happy to share this story with you. 

I hope you enjoy the chapter!

6 Years Ago

"So what made you finally ask me out on a date Officer Evans?" Mercedes inquired as she took a sip of her water, eying Sam from across the table. The two were in one of the nicest restaurants she had ever been to. One that you definitely had to have reservations for to get into. And though Mercedes was flattered, she would have been just as happy to go grab a hotdog or burger and fries as long as she got to spend more time with the gorgeous man in front of her.

Sam looked up from trying to read the menu. He hadn't expected everything to be in French. He should've just gone with Italian. He knew the language, and the food was always good. Sam didn't know why he felt the need to impress the woman in front of him so badly. Actually, he did know why, but at the moment, he was trying not to overthink things, which he had kind of already done with choosing this restaurant. "I asked you out because I figured we should get to know each other outside of me coming to your place of work just to see you...and I really like you if you haven't already guessed."

Sam couldn't help but blush as blood filled his cheeks at his own confession. He wiped his sweaty palms on the black dress pants he was wearing. Mercedes smiled at his words, looking down at her menu again. Nothing was in English, and she doubted her date spoke French any more than she did. She couldn't help the light giggle that escaped her mouth. 

"What's funny?" Sam eyed her curiously, unable to stop the small smile that appeared on his face at hearing her laugh. 

Mercedes shook her head, containing her laughter before speaking. "Do you speak French, Sam?" The blonde shook his head in the negative as his blush deepened to a dark red. Mercedes continued to smile as she thought for a moment. "Wanna go grab a hotdog and take a walk instead?" Their waiter hadn't come back yet to take their order, so now was as good a time as any to make their escape.

"I'm down." Sam told her, relaxing a bit. The two stood up, grabbing their things and heading out of the restaurant. They walked a few blocks before stopping at a food truck and ordering a couple hot dogs and drinks. Sam paid for their food, and Mercedes stated how this was better than him paying a hundred dollars for stuff they had no idea they were ordering.

"I'm a simple girl, Evans. You don't have to take me anywhere fancy to impress me. I already like you, you know." Mercedes nudged Sam in his side as they made their way across the street into Central Park. There was still a good amount of light outside with the sun just starting to set. The couple occupied one of the benches as they ate their meal and talked.

"Okay Evans" Mercedes started, wiping her mouth with a napkin as she finished her food. "What's the first thing you noticed about me that you like. And don't say my ass! I get that all the time."

Sam couldn't help the laugh that came, putting his drink down and turning to face her completely. "Actually, I was going to say your smile. You have a really beautiful smile. Though your ass is in my top five, top three, even."

Mercedes laughed as well. The wind blew lightly around them, blowing a few stray pieces of Mercedes' hair out of the low, wavy ponytail she had. Sam reached up, smoothing her hair behind her ear gently. They locked eyes for a few moments, and Mercedes couldn't help but notice how the angle of the remaining sunlight made the green of Sam's eyes sparkle brighter.

"What's the first thing you noticed about me?" Sam softly asked. The golden hue of the sun bounced off of Mercedes brown skin, and at that moment, all he could think about was how radiant the woman in front of him looked.

"Your eyes" She whispered. "You have gorgeous eyes, and that's the first thing I noticed besides the obvious."

"What's the obvious?" The blonde smirked already knowing the answer. He just wanted to hear her say it aloud. 

Mercedes humored him. "Don't act like you don't know, Evans. You in your police uniform. Mm mm mm...those abs...that ass."

"I knew you only wanted me for my body." Sam joked, causing Mercedes to laugh heartily. His smile grew as he watched her.

Sam quickly stood up, tossing their trash in the bin next to the bench, and moving to stand in front of Mercedes, holding his hand out to her. "Come with me. I wanna show you something."

Placing her hand in his, Mercedes stood up, letting Sam lead them through the park to their destination. She looked down at their joined hands as a feeling of warmth passed through her. She felt toasty inside like she did as a child whenever it was her birthday or Christmas morning.

They walked for a good five minutes, until they reached the fountain Sam had been leading them to. The Bethesda Fountain was beautiful with the sound of rushing water flowing through it, giving them both a sense of peace.

"My grandfather would bring my cousin, Hunter, and I here all the time when we were kids. He'd give us a coin and let us make a wish." Sam pulled out his wallet, taking out two coins from the bit of change he had, and handed one to Mercedes. 

"Did any of your wishes ever come true?" She questioned, looking up at him. He nodded, twirling the silver coin between his fingers.

"They did sometimes." Sam smiled thinking about his grandfather. The older man had passed away a year prior. He didn't know about Hunter, but every now and then, Sam would come by and toss a coin in the fountain, silently making a wish. "Alright, turn around." 

The blonde motioned with his hand for Mercedes to turn around as he did the same. Mercedes did as she was told, instinctively closing her eyes and biting her bottom lip in anticipation. Sam looked down at her for a second, thinking about how cute she looked in that moment. He turned straight ahead, closing his own eyes. "On three, make a wish." He counted aloud to three, and they each tossed their coins over their shoulders into the fountain.

After, Mercedes opened her eyes bouncing excitedly, turning to Sam who looked at her in return. "What'd you wish for?" Her wide brown eyes anticipating his response.

"Well, I can't tell you, or it won't come true." He reasoned as they started walking again. Mercedes fell into step alongside Sam, grabbing his hand in hers this time.

"Aww come on Sammy." She playfully pouted. "If you tell me yours, I'll tell you mine." Sam smiled at the nickname and the fact that Mercedes initiated their hand holding this time.

"How about I give you a hint?" He lifted an eyebrow in question. She shrugged thinking about it as she played with his fingers. For Mercedes, this didn't feel like a first date to her. She'd been on her fair share of dates, but none of those guys gave her butterflies in her stomach like Sam did, and he hadn't even kissed her yet.

"Yeah, Evans, I'll take the hint."

"Okay, well, my wish included you, so it's kind of a wish for both of us." Sam confessed, swinging their linked hands back and forth. 

Mercedes eyes brightened."Mine included you too. It was a wish for both of us."

"Copycat" Sam teased, playfully getting another laugh out of her. "Tell you what, if our wishes don't come true in seven years, we'll come back to the fountain and tear it down."

"Pretty sure that's illegal, Officer Evans. You of all people should know." He let out a huff of air. "But I agree, if our wishes dont come true, we'll come back and destroy the damn thing. Pinky promise." Mercedes held up her smallest finger, and Sam smiled linking his pinky with her with hers.

"Pinky promise" Sam agreed as they came up to an ice cream stand. They each got their favorite and continued to walk and talk.

xxxxxxx

Present Day

Mercedes Nichelle Jones would you stand still! I'm gonna end up pricking you if you don't!" Kurt exclaimed, sticking another pin in her wedding dress. The divo, being the fabulous designer that he was, had designed his best friend's wedding dress along with the bridesmaid's dresses and the boys' suits. Kurt's boutique was taking off after three years, and he could finally afford to hire an assistant and the seamstresses he needed to bring all his designs to life.

"I can't help it, this dress is itchy! And I kinda have to pee…" Mercedes admitted as she continued squirming. Kurt rolled his eyes letting out an exasperated sigh.

"The dress is itchy because I haven't put the lining in yet. You said you wanted lace Cede, and that's what I'm giving you... And why didn't you pee before putting this dress on?"

"Because I didn't have to go then, but I really need to go now." Mercedes whined, bouncing up and down. Kurt shook his head stepping back.

"Go ahead, but don't mess up your dress." He turned to Tina who was in the room as well asking her to help their bestie relieve herself without ruining her dress. The Asian woman nodded following Mercedes to the bathroom.

"Why am I here again?" Sebastian questioned watching the two women leave the room. He stood up from his place in one of the fancy lavender chairs in the fitting area. "This is the gayest thing I think I have ever done in all my twenty-seven years of living." The taller man stated, finishing the champagne from the flute Tina hadnt touched. 

Kurt huffed going over to the small table in the corner with his sewing supplies as he found more pins, sticking them in the red and black pin cushion around his wrist. "So sticking you penis in another man's asshole isn't gay enough for you.?" Kurt retorted not missing a beat.

Sebastian lifted an eyebrow, smirking. "Touché" He moved standing next to the other man, fiddling with the thread he'd picked up off the table. "Is this gonna take long? I actually have a day date?"

Kurt stopped what he was doing, eying the other man with a questioning look. "What the hell is a day date?"

This time it was Sebastian's turn to roll his eyes. "Look Hummel, I know Blaine is the only man you've ever had tickle your pickle, but a day date is when you go out with someone during daylight hours."

"You know what Seb-"

"Okay, I feel so much better now Kurty!" I'll be still the rest of the time, I promise." Mercedes announced taking a sip of her champagne before moving back to stand on the pedestal. Kurt nodded, and advised Sebastian he was here so he could be fitted for his suit since he was part of the wedding party. 

Tina took a seat in her chair, again, opening the bottle of water she had and taking several large gulps. The other three turned to her as the crackling of the plastic bottle echoed through the room. "What?" She questioned innocently as she put the top back on the bottle, placing it back on the table beside her.

"Someone's thirsty" Sebastian mumbled, smoothing out his shirt and taking a seat in the chair beside her. Tina shrugged, fumbling with her purse as she searched for a piece of gum. The trio still had their eyes planted on her, making her flushed as she moved everything around in her bag not finding what she was looking for.

"Are you okay, T?" Mercedes questioned stepping down from the pedestal and making her way to the other woman.

"I'm fine. I-I…" She sighed giving up her search and looking up at her three friends. Each had a look of concern on their face. Well, Sebastian looked more nonchalant than anything, but deep down he was concerned for her. "I think I might be pregnant." Tina told them quietly.

"Oh shit-"

"Dear God in heaven-"

"Have you taken a test yet?" Mercedes questioned side eying both men for their choice of words. Tina shook her head no, quickly wiping away the tears that began to fall. Mercedes rubbed her back in a soothing manner trying to calm her.

"Have you told Mike?" Kurt asked kneeling down in front of her.

"N-no" She spoke between a sniffle. "I want to be sure before I tell him. There's no need in alarming him if it's nothing." Tina stated wiping her eyes. Sebastian handed her a couple Kleenex, horrified as she almost wiped her nose with her hand. He didn't do well with people crying. One thing he absolutely hated was germs getting where they had no business being. Tina finished having her cry feeling a bit better.

"As soon as we're done here, we'll go get a few pregnancy tests, and you can take them, okay." Mercedes told her friend, kissing the top of her head. Kurt patted her knee, standing up and giving Sebastian an odd look as the other man awkwardly gave Tina, what he assumed was supposed to be a comforting pat on the back.

"Alright, enough with the emotional heart to heart. This is making me queasy." Sebastian poured himself another flute full of champagne before quickly downing it. He didn't do emotions, and Mercedes and Tina giggled at his discomfort. The Asian woman wiped her eyes one las time as they all got back to what they were doing.

After Kurt was done with Mercedes, he moved on to Tina as she tried on what would be the bridesmaid's dress. "Oh my god, if you're actually pregnant, you'll be like eight months along when the wedding comes around!" 

Tina's eyes widened, not having thought about that. "I'm gonna be fat at your wedding Cede! It'll ruin all the pictures!" She shrieked. Kurt stopped his actions, not wanting to stab her with any pins as she sobbed. He wrapped her up in a strong hug. Mercedes shook her head at her friend. Tina was always emotional, so she couldn't tell if this was brought on by her actually being pregnant or just being her regular emotional self.

Moving to join their hug, having already changed back into her regular clothes, Mercedes grabbed the other woman letting her cry into her shoulder still crying.

"Oh for the love of everything holy! I thought we were done with the emotional stuff! You guys know emotions make me literally feel ill. You know that, right?" Sebastian stated standing a distance away from. The other three with wide eyes.

"Oh come on Seb." Mercedes laughed smiling at her friend and grabbing him to pull him into the hug. "You know you love us."

The taller man quickly hugged them back for a few seconds. "Yeah, you guys are okay in my book. Love might be a bit too strong of a word though." He gave a smile before stepping away.

The front door to the boutique opened, and a delivery boy made his way to the front counter talking to one of the clerks. "Delivery for a Miss Mercedes Jones."

Mercedes turned at the sound of her name as Amanda, the clerk, pointed in her direction. The delivery boy made his way towards the four as they separated.

"Mercedes Jones?" The young man asked. He had a bouquet of Mango Calla Lilies. They were her favorite. She nodded confirming she was who he was looking for and he gave her the bouquet. Mercedes thanked him, and he nodded before leaving to make the rest of his deliveries.

"Looks like Sam is pulling out all the stops." Kurt spoke leaning over her shoulder, encouraging her to read the card that was sticking out of the bouquet. Mercedes smelled the flowers, smiling as she grabbed the small card reading the note.

Beautiful flowers for the most beautiful girl in the world. We belong together, bella.  
Forever Yours

Mercedes smiled brightly thinking about her love. Kurt and Tina awed as they read the note over her shoulder, and Sebastian rolled his eyes at their antics. He seriously to get less emotional friends.

After another hour and a half, Kurt had finished fitting everyone for their respective wedding attire. The four decided to have lunch together after going to the drug store for Tina. They walked the few blocks from the drug store to Alonzo's Pizzeria.

On the opposite side of the street, stood the man with the electric blue eyes watching the four friends intensely as they laughed at whatever ridiculous joke the taller man had told. She was always so beautiful when she smiled. She belonged with him, and the time was coming for him to make sure she knew that.

xxxxxxx

"Kitty Wilde, twenty four years old and best friend to Brianna Thompson. She's a PA for Stephanie Chase, the fashion designer. But every other weekend or so, she works as a cocktail waitress at The Lounge, which is also where Brianna worked." Mike informed informed reading the young woman's profile.

Mike and Sam were currently parked in front of Lenova, the large fashion company where Kitty worked as a personal assistant to the owner. After doing some research, the two had found where she worked since she wasn't at her home address when they'd initially gone to speak with her. Sam and Mike got out of their patrol car, heading into the large building, and checking the directory before entering the elevator and heading up to the 35th floor.

"You know what both victims have in common?" Sam questioned as it dawned on him. There was only one other person in the elevator at the moment, and the older woman was talking on her cellphone not pay them any mind. "They're both women of color."

"And they're both waitresses." They stated in unison. The woman exited the elevator on the 23rd floor leaving just the two of them.

"We still don't really know what his motive is, but there's definitely a pattern." Mike spoke trying to think of anything else obvious that was right in front of them.

The elevator dinged stopping at floor 35, and they exited making their way over to the receptionist's desk. She greeted them with a smile, not so subtly letting her eyes roam over both men in appreciation.

"Good morning gentlemen. How can I help you?" She asked thinking of a few ways they could help her, as she bit her bottom lip. Mike leaned against the counter holding up his badge for her to see and flashing her a smile.

"Hi um…" He paused waiting for the receptionist to say her name.

"Chelsea" She smoothed a lock of her dyed burgundy hair behind her ear smiling, and leaning forward so more of her cleavage was revealed. Sam snorted, rolling his eyes at her unabashed flirting with his best friend.

"Hi Chelsea, we need to speak with Kitty Wilde. Would you mind calling her to come out here a meet us?" Mike asked ever so charmingly.

"Sure" She picked up the phone, getting ready to dial the number. "Who should I say is asking for her?"

"Just tell her Detective Mike Chang is here to see her." He told her smoothly.

Chelsea did just that, dialing Kitty's desk number while undressing the Asian man with her eyes. She quickly spoke to Kitty asking the other woman to come out to the reception area before hanging up. Writing on a sticky note, she tore it from the stack, placing it on the counter in front of Mike.

"You should call me sometime detective." Chelsea winked. Sam shook his head as Mike picked up the small piece of paper, folding it up and handing it back to her without looking at the number.

"I don't think my girl would appreciate it if I did, but thank you Chelsea. You've been very helpful." Mike flashed her another perfect smile, stepping away from the desk. The young woman huffed, getting back to work and ignoring the two for the rest of the time. A few minutes later, Kitty made her way out of the double glass doors with the click of her heels announcing her arrival. 

Kitty Wilde looked pristine in her dark blue pencil dress, white blazer and leopard print stilletos. Her blonde hair was bone straight framing her face with her signature red lipstick finishing off her look. From what Sam and Mike could see, she didn't look like someone mourning a friend. 

"How may I help you boys?" She asked pleasantly.

A few more people came in and out of the reception area going towards the elevator or making their way through the double doors. "Is there a place we can talk privately Ms. Wilde?"

Kitty nodded leading them through the double doors and into the nearest unoccupied conference room. "Would you two like a coffee or anything?" She pointed to the snack bar in the corner. Both men declined taking seats across from her.

"We just need to ask you some questions about Brianna." Sam stated and Kitty nodded. She couldn't believe her best friend was dead. To outsiders, it may seem as if she didn't care, with not taking time to mourn, but working was her way of coping. It took her mind off of the fact that her best friend was no longer there to talk to or laugh with. There would be no more birthday celebrations together. They would never be maid of honors at each other's weddings. All because some asshole killed her because he couldn't have her.

"Ask me whatever you need to. I'll try to answer as best I can." She told them giving them her full attention.

"On the day Brianna went missing, did she seem off at all? Was anything different?" Mike inquired pulling out his notepad.

Kitty shook her head. "She didn't seem different, but she was a bit annoyed with something that happened the night before.

"What happened the night before?" Sam leaned forward. Every little detail mattered, and if they were able to get more info on what went down with Brianna when she was taken, it may help them figure out why Sarah Martinez was targeted as well.

Kitty sighed thinking about how upset her friend was the night before. "Bri ran into her ex that night. We were working at The Lounge wanting to make some extra cash for our trip we had planned for next month. It's always busy there on the weekends, especially on Saturday nights. Well, her ex was there that night, and he got really drunk and said some things he shouldn't have. After her shift was done, they stepped out back for like twenty minutes, and when they came back, she was upset and he had a smug look on his face."

Moke wrote a few things down in his notepad before looking up at her. "Does this ex have a name?"

"Ryder Lynn, I can give you an address, and if he's not there or at work he's more than likely at a bar getting drunk. Guy's a real asshole, and he was jealous of her Bri and Noah even if he won't admit it." Kitty quickly wiped the stray tear that fell, clearing her throat.

She jotted down the information in Sam's notepad with Ryder's address, where he worked and where he would most likely be if not at either of those places. They asked her a few more questions before wrapping up. Ryder Lynn was definitely next on the list.

"I also think he knew that other woman that was killed." She added.

"Sarah Martinez?" Sam clarified and Kitty nodded. Mike and Sam shared a look, silently communicating with each other. Both men stood up and Kitty followed suit. They thanked her for her time and cooperation, moving towards the door. 

"Detectives" Sam and Mike stopped, turning back to look at her. "Just please find who did this. Bri was one of the sweetest people I have ever known. She didn't deserve to die like that."

Both men nodded before exiting the conference room and heading out of the building.

xxxxxx

When Sam and Mike finally found Ryder Lynn, he was exactly where Kitty said he'd be if he wasn't at home or work. He was sitting in a half empty bar with a glass of scotch in hand. Ryder noticed them before they said anything, spotting their gold shields from a distance along with the guns at their sides. 

"Took you long enough. I figured I would've been the first stop for the cops. Looks like I was wrong yet again." Ryder slurred, downing the remaining brown liquid from the glass before slamming it down on the bar top.

"Ryder, we need to ask you some questions about Bri-"

"I didn't kill her." The brunette snipped interrupting Mike. "But if you ask me, that bitch deserved to die." He let out a bitter laugh, and that's when Sam snapped. He was done playing nice. Two women were dead because of some psycho.

"Get the fuck up!" Sam demanded. The few other patrons in the bar shot eyes in the direction of the shouting anticipating what was about to go down. Ryder rolled his eyes with a huff, not making a move to stand. He waved for the bartender to bring him another round. Sam moved closer standing over him. "I said GET UP." He spoke through gritted teeth.

"Fuck you, man! Just because you have fucking shield and a gun doesn't mean you can tell me what to do. Fuck you! Fuck him!" He pointed to Mike. "Fuck Kitty because I know she told you where I was. Fuck Bri and fuck Sarah-"

Sam had had enough. Without warning, he grabbed Ryder by the back of his shirt forcing the man to his feet and slamming him against the wall getting in his face. "You think it's funny two women are dead, Lynn! DO YOU?!"

Ryder smirked, unfazed by Sam's actions. Mike stepped forward ready to intervene if things got too out of hand. "I think it's a little funny, yeah. Both Bri and Sarah were fucking teases, and as far as I'm concerned, they got what they deserved. May they both rest in fucking peace."

All Sam saw was red after that, punching the other man twice. Once in the mouth and then the nose. "Sam!" Mike shouted moving to grab his partner, but before he could, Ryder got in a good punch of his own and shoved the blonde into the counter hard. Sam winced as his back protested. Mike quickly grabbed Ryder, cuffung him.

"What the hell man?" Ryder moved trying to get out of Mike's hold. 

"You just assaulted a police officer." Mike informed. "We're taking you in." 

"The fuck? He punched me first! I was defending myself!"

Sam straightened up, ignoring the now searing pain in his back, and wiping the few drops of blood from his lip. Mike gave his partner a once over before forcing a still struggling Ryder out of the building. The blonde slowly followed, stretching his arms and shoulders to reduce the pain in his lower back. Mike put Ryder in the back of their squad car before looking at Sam.

"You okay?" Sam nodded and Mike sighed running a hand through his hair. "You shouldn't have hit him."

"You heard what he said-" 

"Oh yeah I heard! He's also drunk, and we all say stupid shit when we drink! You still shouldn't have hit him!"

Sam ran a hand through his own hair, knowing his best friend was right. Another shooting pain went up his back, and he cursed. Mike shook his head upset about the whole situation. He didn't feel like playing good cop/bad cop today, but he was obviously good cop with the way Sam was acting.

"Get in the car. I'm driving." Sam didnt argue as he opened the passenger's side door getting in.

"I'm pressing charges, you know! Police brutality!" Ryder shouted from the back seat. Sam gritted his teeth, clenching and uncleancing his fists. He silently counted backwards from ten willing himself to calm down. "Police brutality!" He shouted again.

"Shut the hell up Lynn! You're still a suspect in a murder, possibly two actually. So I'd advise you to keep your mouth shut." Mike stated, starting the car and pulling out into the street.

xxxxxxxx

Sebastian, Mercedes, Kurt and Tina ended up at Tina and Mike's place after lunch. Sebastian, to everyone's surprise, canceled his day date. He told them the other guy canceled, but the other three knew the truth. They were currently sitting in the living room waiting for Tina to come out of the bathroom. 

"A baby wouldn't be so bad." Kurt broke the silence. Mercedes and Sebastian gave him a look, and he shrugged. "What? I love babies. They're so cute."

"Yeah, when they're not throwing up, or shitting everywhere or crying their eyes out. Don't forget the part where they basically rip their mother's body apart to get here." The other two looked at Sebastian with wide eyes.

"Well damn Seb, tell us how you really feel." Mercedes spoke as Tina came out of the bathroom. The taller man shrugged, relaxing in his seat. The Asian woman took a seat on the couch between Kurt and Mercedes, setting her timer on her phone for three minutes. "I'll be okay T. We're here for you no matter what.

The boys nodded in response backing their friend's words. Tina gave them all a nervous smile as she fought the urge to bite her nails. It was a nervous habit that she had, but she hadn't done it for a while. Noticing her nervousness, Kurt and Mercedes each grabbed one of her hands. They waited the three minutes which seemed to take forever. When the alarm finally went off, she headed back to the bathroom to grab the test. Without looking at it, she made her way back to the living room with her heart pounding so rapidly, she could hear it.

"I can't look." Tina stated closing her eyes tightly. Mercedes stood up walking to stand in front of her best friend taking the test from her hand.

"She peed on that Cede." Sebastian murmured in disgust, getting an eye roll from the dark skinned woman. Mercedes quickly turned the test over reading the results.

"You're…"

To Be Continued 

Hey guys! I know I left it on a cliff, but I had to split this into two since so much is going on, but next chapter will pick up where this left off.

What do you think Samcedes wished for on their first date?

Do you guys think Tina is actually pregnant?

What's the deal with Ryder?

Do you think the flowers Mercedes got are from Sam or someone else?

Do you all like Sebastian, Mercedes, Tina and Kurt's friendship?

Tell me what you think. I absolutely love reading your reviews!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi lovely readers! Back with another update. Sorry for it being a day late, this week has been kind of hectic. But I hope you all enjoy this chapter

Mercedes looked at the pregnancy test in her hands reading the results. It was there clear as day in bold letters staring back at her. PREGNANT. She bit her lip, looking at her best friend. Tina still had her eyes closed, and the darker woman was pretty sure she heard her mumbling a prayer to herself. A baby was coming. Mike and Tina would be the first of their friend group to have a child. In a way, it was fitting. They, no doubt, loved each other more than anything or anyone, and it wasn't like they couldn't provide for a child. With Mike's detective salary, and Tina being one of the best real estate agents in New York, they could more than provide for a child. However, she knew her friend wanted to get married first before having kids, though she was pretty sure Mike was getting ready to pop the question.

"Look ladies, I'm all for dramatic effect, but this is a bit much. Is she preggo or not,Cede?" Sebastian asked, tapping her foot on the hardwood floor.

Kurt leaned forward in his seat trying unsuccessfully to read the test results. Tina bit her lip, opening one eye and looking at Mercedes. The other woman gave a half smile, shrugging before reading the results aloud.

"You're pregnant T." It was quiet for what felt like forever, but was really only a minute before Kurt broke the silence.

"Yaaay…" He clapped his hands quietly trying to break the tension. Sebastian snorted, shaking his head.

"Fuck" Tina whispered to herself, running her hands through her light brown highlights. "This was not part of the plan." Tears came to her eyes as she turned, leaving the living room and going to her and Mike's bedroom. Mercedes followed with the test still in hand. She watched the other woman plop down on the bed, laying down and looking up at the ceiling. Mercedes did the same, laying down next to her. She grabbed Tina's hand, holding it tightly as silent tears fell from the Asian woman's eyes. "I promised her Cede."

"I know." Mercedes squeezed her friend's hand again, hoping to bring some form of comfort. Tina wiped her eyes, taking a deep breath and releasing it.

"I promised my mom I would get married then have kids. The one thing she asked me to do before she died, and I fuck it up."

"It could be a false positive." 

Tina sighed again at her friend's words. It could have been a false positive, but she knew more than likely it wasn't. "I'll make a doctor's appointment to double check."

Mercedes nodded, kissing the back of Tina's hand letting the other woman know she'd be there if needed. "You should tell Mike."

"I will." She stated through a watery smile.

When a knock on the bedroom door came, both women turned their attention to Kurt and Sebastian standing in the doorway.

"Are you two done with the girly shit? I don't know how much more I can take of Kurt talking about how great babies are." Sebastian stated. Kurt rolled his eyes waving the other man off.

Both Mercedes and Tina sat up on the bed, looking at the two men. Tina wiped the remaining tears from her eyes, sighing again before giving a small smile to her friends.

"Do you guys wanna go out tonight? We could have a night out on the town, on me." Kurt suggested trying to get Tina's mind off of what she'd just found out.

"It's Monday Kurt." Mercedes stated. Nothing fun ever happened on a Monday night. Kurt shrugged before speaking again.

"We can still go out. Blaine will most likely be working late, so I don't have any plans."

"I have to work early tomorrow." Sebastian informed.

"I'm on night shift." Mercedes said with a shrug.

"You guys suck. What about you,T?" Kurt asked, looking at her. He wanted to help get her mind off the current matters at hand, but she shook her head at his suggestion.

"I don't really feel like going out. Besides, I have to show a couple houses tomorrow anyway."

"Boo, you guys seriously suck." Kurt pouted, crossing his arms.

"It's Monday!" The other three shouted in unison. Nobody ever went out on a damn Monday.

xxxxxxx 

Mike and Sam made their way into the precinct with Ryder handcuffed and still shouting at the top of his lungs. 

"I wanna press charges! I was assaulted!" He continued, struggling against Mike as he practically dragged him along to the nearest empty interrogation room. Sam was still resisting the urge to punch the shit out of Ryder again. 

He followed his partner into the room, watching as Mike cuffed the other man to the table. Ryder tugged at the cuffs cursing some more. "This is bullshit, man. I wanna talk to whoever's in charge of you two. You fuckin' punched me. My nose is still bleeding!" He shouted, wiping the blood away with his free hand.

"Shut the hell up, Lynn!" Sam was getting riled up again. This guy was seriously working his last nerve. He hadn't shutup the whole twenty minute ride there, and what he'd said about Sarah Martinez and Brianna Thompson was still echoing at the back of his mind. Sam couldn't imagine ever truly wishing death on anyone and laughing about it after the fact. He would never understand how certain people thought, or why they did the things they did.

"If I don't shut up, you gonna punch me again asshole?" Ryder lifted up his chained hand. "How 'bout you take these cuffs off me, and we go toe to toe right now. I bet you ain't so tough without that gun on your belt and your little bitch to defend you."

Sam lunged over the table grabbing Ryder by his shirt forcing the man to his feet again, but Mike was quicker this time, grabbing the blonde and forcing him to let go of the other man. He led Sam out of the interrogation room, and into the hallway before letting him go.

"You need to chill out! Go take a walk!" Mike ticked his jaw. He could feel the heat rising to his face. He really wasn't in the mood for this shit. Dealing with a hot headed Sam along with a suspect who didn't know when to reserve his right to shut the fuck up. Mike could feel a headache coming on trying to deal with these two. The day had already taken its toll, and it was barely two o'clock.

Sam's own face was red with anger. He ran a hand through his hair before shoving his fists in the pockets of his leather jacket. Without speaking a word, the blonde turned, walking down the hall heading towards the exit.

Captain Washington stepped out of her office, stopping Sam before he could go far. "Nun uh Blondie, my office. Now!" She told him sternly. "You too Chang."

Sam followed the older woman into her office with Mike trailing behind. She closed the door, moving behind her desk to sit down while motioning for both of them to do the same. Mike took a seat without argument, while Sam stood posted up against the wall ticking his jaw. Captain Washington raised her eyebrows, placing her hands on her hips.

"It ain't an option, Blondie, sit yo ass down!" Sam fought the urge to roll his eyes, moving to take the empty seat. Once he sat down, the Captain took a seat as well before quickly changing her mind and standing back up. She looked between the two shaking her head. "Ya know, I don't know who's worse. Between you two and Hunter who acts like he's the damn Lone Ranger when it comes to cases, I don't know what to do with you all.

Mike opened his mouth to speak, but she held up a hand stopping him. "You all know I have two kids of my own at home, right?" Captain Washington looked paused, looking at them expectantly. Both men looked a bit lost with the direction this conversation was going. The older woman rolled her eyes leaning against her desk. "I got two teenagers at home, and I don't need this bullshit. Evans, you've been out for six months, and believe me when I say I'm thankful you were able to get back to doing what you love." She gave Sam a pointed look, not wanting to show any sympathy. These boys ran her ragged all the damn time. They didn't need to know about the soft spot she had for the three. They were like the sons she never damn well asked for. 

"But you've got a temper, Blondie, along with that cousin of yours who never knows when to stop talking, always stickin' his foot in his damn mouth. Especially when it comes to all the DA's who despise him. I swear, I don't know why that Italian blood of yours runs so damn hot, but ya'll need to calm the fuck down! You too Chang cuz you're guilty by association." 

She stood up straight, pacing a little. "And Blondie, you better hope to God that when Mercedes has your little swirly babies they don't have your temper, or you'll be in a whole other world of shit." Captain Washington opened the door again, motioning for them to leave. Sam and Mike stood up, the blonde did so a bit slower, however, as his back protested. "Now get your asses back to work and stop acting so damn crazy." 

They both nodded, saying a quick 'yes ma'am' before exiting out of the office. Mike headed back to the interrogation room, and Sam informed he was going to grab a drink from the vending machine in the break room. He had calmed down for the most part, but still needed a minute.

As Sam made his way to the vending machine, his phone vibrated in his jacket pocket signaling a text was received. He pulled out his wallet, getting a Sprite and a Coke from the machine. He decided the Coke would be a peace offering for Mike as a silent apology for going off like he did. Grabbing the drinks, Sam pulled out his phone viewing the text he received.   
A smile crossed his face, reading the text from his girl. 

> I love you, Detective. Always will.<

Sam read it over again twice before typing a response with a smile still plastered on his face. Mercedes always knew what to say or do to make his day better. 

Hunter walked into the break room heading for the coffee machine to grab a cup. He eyed his cousin, snorting at the goofy smile on the other man's face. He grabbed his coffee before moving towards the blonde. 

"The hell you got that goofy ass smile on your face for Sammy? You sexting Cede or somethin'?" Hunter wiggled his eyebrows suggestive, and Sam shook his head, sending his text and placing his phone back in his jacket pocket.

"Naw man, nothing like that. Strictly PG." Sam looked up, and Hunter nodded, taking a sip of his coffee eyeing the other man once more, frowning at the noticeable bruise forming on his face. 

"What happened to your lip?"

Sam shrugged at the question, not really wanting to get into it. Hunter rolled his eyes at his cousin's answer.

"Alright, fine, don't tell me. But if I find out who the hell hit you, he's gonna wish he hadn't." 

Sam sighed, running his hand through his hair. "I hit him first." He confessed.

"I don't give a shit. You mess with one of us. You mess with all of us." Abandoning his coffee cup on the counter, Hunter headed for the door planning to make his way to the interrogation room where he knew that little bitch was hiding. Sam quickly followed, catching up to Hunter in the hallway, grabbing his arm.

"Stop Hunt. You're gonna end up getting yourself suspended. You're already on Cap's hit list. I know she spoke to you before pulling Mike and I in earlier." Hunter yanked his arm out of Sam's grip, letting out a huff of air.

"Please, Cap says that shit all the time, but never actually does it." Just as Hunter finished that sentence, Captain Washington walked by.

"You wanna try me Clarington? Cuz I've tried many a time today, and I'm daring someone to get on my last nerve." She stood face to face with the darker haired man, itching for him to try something. "Now, I don't care who you damn daddy is. Deputy Commissioner or not, I will suspend you, and I'll call Robert Clarington up myself, and let him know I did it. So you better rethink whatever it was you were about to do like Blondie said, or I swear you'll be out for at least a month."

Hunter ticked his jaw, not saying anything. At this point, his chest was heaving, and he was in desperate need to punch something, but thought better of it. When it came down to it, if he got suspended, he would have to wait it out. His dad was the Deputy Police Commissioner, sure, but the older man didn't play favorites, and if Hunter got suspended, it would stay that way and he wouldn't hear the end of it.

Without another word, Hunter turned on his heels, heading down the hallway and flipping a chair over in the process. Most of the precinct was used to his tantrums by now as they continued their tasks unphased. Captain Washington crossed her arms mumbling to herself about how she was getting too damn old for this shit. 

"Take a walk Clarington, and calm the hell down! And when you come back, finish that paperwork for the collar you made this morning, and it better be on my desk by the end of shift!" 

Hunter stormed through the exit doors, making his way outside without a response. Cap walked away mumbling about how she was on the verge of taking an early retirement.

Knowing Hunter would cool off on his own eventually, Sam headed down the hallway, making his way back to the interrogation room. Upon opening the door, he was surprised to see Blaine there as well sitting next to Ryder. Sam placed the drinks on the table, looking between Blaine and Mike, who was sitting opposite the other two.

"Seriously Blaine, you're this asshole's attorney? When did he even have a chance to call you?" Sam placed his hands on his waist waiting for an answer from his friend.

"I didn't call him. My mother did." Ryder spoke, reclining back lazily in his seat. "How long am I gonna be here? I've got shit to do, you know."

Mike snorted at that. If drinking yourself into a stupor counted as something important to do, then he'd been overworked and underpaid for the last eight years. Sam ignored the suspect, looking at Blaine expectantly. Blaine sat up straight, adjusting his suit jacket and looking back at the blonde.

"Ryder didn't call me. His mother did like he said."

"Okaay, that doesn't explain anything. How'd she know to call you? He hasn't used a phone to notify anyone of where he is."

Mike took the offered can of Coke, opening it and taking a drink. He welcomed the slight burn as it fizzled down his throat, needing some form of caffeine to carry on with the rest of today. The thought to call Tina crossed his mind, and he made a mental note to do just that after they were done here. 

"Can I get one of those?" Ryder asked, tapping his fingers on the table. He needed a drink or a joint. Something, and if a can of Coke is all he got at the moment, he'd take it.

Mike looked at him like he was crazy, which he was about ninety-eight percent sure he was. "No, you can't get one of these. The whole reason you're in here in the first place is because you're a damn homicide suspect, and you assaulted an officer." Mike reminded. 

Ryder sighed, crossing his arms as best he could with one handcuffed to the table. "Whatever"

"You didn't answer my question Blaine." Sam sat across from the shorter man raising a brow in question.

"Stephanie Chase called me after you two apparently showed up at her company. She said Ryder may be in trouble and for me to get down here as soon as possible." Blaine stated as both Sam and Mike looked on confused for a second before putting two and two together. Ryder smirked as they did so.

"Stephanie Chase from Lenova is your mother?" The blonde spoke looking at Ryder wanting to knock that stupid smirk off his face.

Ryder's smirk turned into a devious smile. "Yep, and mommy dearest pulled through as always. Kitty might wanna watch her back or she may end up dead next."

"Shut the hell up Ryder. You do know you have the right to remain silent, right?" Blaine looked at his client warning him.

"Yeah, yeah, I know my rights. Jackie Chan here made sure of that when he cuffed me, and dragged me in this dump."

Mike stood up leaning over the table, getting in the other man's face. "You know what Lynn, I'm getting real tired of your shit. I've been playing nice, but if you cross me again, I won't hesitate to beat the fuck out of you." 

The two stared each other down for a minute until Ryder averted his gaze. Mike smoothly sat back down in his seat, grabbing his notepad and pen. "Now we've got some questions we need to ask, and you're going to cooperate. Isn't that right Lynn?"

Ryder shrugged, sighing loudly. "Yeah, whatever."

xxxxxxx 

It was around 9:30pm when Sam made it home for the night. It had definitely been a long day. Fifteen hours straight working, trying to find any leads on the two connecting cases. Ryder may have been an ass who talked to damn much, but he wasn't a killer. The man did give them some info that may help moving forward. They would look into it tomorrow though. The two called it a night around nine after Tina called Mike letting him know they needed to talk. She sounded a little flustered on the phone, so both men decided to go ahead and head home, agreeing to an early start in the morning. 

Sam closed the door to the apartment, letting out a deep breath. A sharp pain went through his back for what felt like the hundredth time that day since that morning after getting into it with Ryder. He cursed under his breath, just as Mercedes came from the bathroom. 

She smiled upon seeing him, walking over to hug him. "Hey baby, how was work?" Mercedes wrapped her arms around her fiancé's waist, pulling him in for a hug. Sam tried not to flinch, but was unsuccessful. "What's wrong?" She pulled away with a frown looking up at him. Her eyes widened at seeing the bruise on his face. Mercedes grabbed his face in her hand to get a better look. "What happened to your face?"

Sam didn't meet her eyes as he spoke."Nothing Merce, I'm-"

"Don't lie to me Sam. If you say you're fine one more time I'm gonna scream." The blonde sighed meeting her eyes as he ran a hand through his hair. Mercedes placed her hands on her hips watching him. "Turn around."

"What, why?"

Mercedes eyed him, not backing down, and daring Sam to test her in that moment. Sam being the smart man that he was, thought better of.it as he took his jacket off. Mercedes lifted his shirt, assessing the damage. Her frown deepened at the reddish bruise that was slowly turning purple along his lower back. She gently ran her fingers along the bruise. "What happened?"

"Got into it with a suspect today." Sam admitted. "It probably looks worse than it is. You know I bruise easily."

Mercedes did know that, but she also knew he wouldn't admit he was in pain if she didn't pry it out of him.

"Does it hurt?" She ran a smooth hand over it once more before lowering his shirt. Sam turned back around, pulling Mercedes into him wrapping an arm around her waist. 

"Nothing I can't handle, bella." He placed a kiss to her temple, and she brought her hands up wrapping them around his neck, and looking up at him.

"Are you hungry? I can make you something."

Sam shook his head, immediately regretting it as another jolt of pain went through his body. Mercedes could feel him tense up. She hated seeing him in pain. The young woman stepped back, pulling Sam into the living room. She moved the coffee table out of the way before speaking again.

"Take your shirt off, and get comfortable. I'm giving you a massage. It'll help." Their bed was too soft, otherwise, Mercedes would have had him lay there, but the hardwood floor was level, so it would have to do. Sam didn't protest her instructions as he removed his shirt and gun, grabbing a pillow off the couch for his head before lying down face first on the cool floor. Once Sam got comfortable, Mercedes sat on his but straddling him.

"Ooo, this is kinda kinky." He joked getting a giggle out of her.

"What am I gonna do with you, Evans?" Mercedes ran her hands along his lower back as she started rubbing the tense muscles. 

"You can do absolutely whatever you want to me, but you already know that." She playfully poke him in the side, shaking her head as she kneaded the particularly tense spot just over his scar. Sam let out a deep groan as Mercedes' magic hands eased the pain away. "Oh my god, right there. Stay right there." 

Mercedes did as told, applying a bit more pressure as she worked the kinks out of her man's back. She massaged him for a while, making sure to get all the sore spots as she did so. Sam actually found himself on the verge of slumber when Mercedes stopped her actions. "No, don't stop." He quietly whined. She smiled, gently placing a kiss to his scar, then one to the bruise before moving to place a one at the crook of his neck. 

"Does it feel better?" Mercedes whispered near his ear, and Sam nodded. She hovered over him as he turned around looking up at her with half lidded eyes, and a lazy smile. Mercedes bit her bottom lip, her gaze moving from his dark green eyes, down his nose to his full lips, then back to meet his green orbs. "Where else does it hurt?"

Sam brought a hand up pointing to his mouth. Mercedes smirked, bending down kissing the bruise on his chin, then to the corner of his mouth before capturing his lips with hers. He sighed into the kiss, moving his hands to rest on her thighs, thumbing the material of her leggings. They made out for a couple minutes each knowing just how the other liked to be kissed. When the burning in their lungs became too great, they broke apart. 

Mercedes moved to Sam's neck, placing feather light kisses up his neck and along his jawline, just as one of his hands moved from her thigh up to her ass giving it a gentle squeeze. He moved his other hand cupping the back of her neck. Mercedes pulled away slightly, looking back into Sam's eyes again. He moved his hand from the back of her neck to trace his pointer finger along her collarbone. Her eyes danced brightly across his face. "Does it hurt anywhere else?"

Sam smirked, enjoying this little game of hers. He took her smaller hand in his, moving their joined hands between their bodies to the zipper of his jeans. Mercedes cupped him through his jeans getting a groan from Sam as the fabric brushed against him. She pecked his lips, then whispered in his ear again. "How 'bout I kiss it better?" Mercedes kissed his ear, leaving a trail of open mouthed kisses down his neck and chest, and running her tongue along Sam's stomach just above the waistline of his jeans. 

Sam's lips parted as he let out a heavy breath, lifting his head up to watch his girl. Mercedes went to work on his belt before unbuttoning his pants. She motioned for him to lift up as she tugged his jeans and underwear off. Mercedes took his length in her soft, warm hand, pumping him a few times before taking him in her mouth. "Fuuuck" Sam moaned, leaning his head back against the pillow as the feel of his girl's warm mouth and hand clouded his thoughts.

Mercedes smiled to herself, humming slightly against him. Sam bucked his hips lightly in response to her actions. "You can't keep doing that, bella." She took heed of his warning, focusing on bringing him as much pleasure as possible without him coming early.

The blonde sighed when Mercedes released him from her mouth. She moved back up, kissing him again. Sam flicked his tongue against her bottom lip causing her to moan and grind her hips against him. He could feel the heat radiating from her core. Sam's hands moved to the waistband of her leggings pulling them down. Mercedes moved, pulling the offending fabric off and straddling him again. She let out another beautiful moan, taking all of Sam in. He groaned at the feel of them being connected, placing his hands on Mercedes hips to steady her. She rode him like a pro, knowing just how to swivel her hips getting him close to the brink. After a while, Sam felt the familiar tightness in his lower stomach as a warning.

"Shit" He cursed, and Mercedes knew what was coming, having just reached her own peak. They kissed with her swallowing the moan as Sam came.

The couple kissed lazily for a minute, letting the aftershock subside. Then Mercedes moved off of Sam, lying on the floor with a leg dropped over him cuddling into his side. Sam placed a kiss to her hair, raking his fingers gently up and down her side. They laid there cuddled together for a good ten minutes before Mercedes checked her watch. It was now 10:40pm, and she had to be at the hospital at midnight for her shift. She sighed sitting up. "I've gotta take a shower and get ready for work."

Sam frowned at that, having completely forgotten she was working night shift again this week. "Call in" He whispered, feeling slightly selfish in that moment. He moved to a sitting position, placing an arm around her. Mercedes ran a hand through his soft locks, letting her fingers dance at the nape of his neck. She would have loved to stay for the night, but she couldn't.

"We're short staffed, baby. I really have to go to work tonight." 

Sam didn't like it, but he understood, placing another kiss to the spot just below her ear he whispered. "How you gonna put it down on me like that and then leave?"

Mercedes let out a loud laugh, shaking her head. "It'll help you sleep well tonight." She stated standing up. 

"At least let me shower with you since you're abandoning me." Sam watched as Mercedes picked up their dirty clothes to put in the hamper.

"Fine, you can join, but no funny business."

The blonde nodded in response, reaching a hand out to her. Mercedes lifted a perfectly waxed eyebrow in question. Sam sighed, still holding his hand out. "I need help getting up Merce. I'm getting too old to be doing this kinda thing on the floor."

Mercedes playfully rolled her eyes helping him up. "Boy, you're only twenty-eight. I'd hardly call that old. That's only two years my senior, and I definitely ain't old." The two headed towards the bathroom.

"Oh I know, bella. After what you just got done doing to me on that floor, you definitely ain't old." Mercedes smiled pinching Sam's ass as he walked in front of her. He quickly turned around, eyeing her. "Watch it. Don't start something you can't finish." Mercedes giggled as they made their way into the bathroom.

The couple showered and brushed their teeth together before Sam left the bathroom letting Mercedes get ready for work. He headed to their room, making his way over to the dresser for a clean pair of underwear and basketball shorts to sleep in. Slipping them on, he looked up noticing the bouquet of mango calla lilies sitting in a vase on top of the dresser next to a picture of them that they'd taken on their fourth anniversary. In the picture,, Sam was holding Mercedes from behind as they both smiled for the camera. Mercedes came into the room as she finished rubbing lotion on her arms, moving to the dresser as well. 

"Who are the flowers from?" Sam inquired as she put on her bra and panties. Mercedes looked at him like he'd lost his mind.

"They're from you silly." She reached up grabbing the small card that came with the flowers, handing it over for him to read. "Maybe you are getting old. Losing your memory, Detective." She pecked his cheek as Sam read the note. It sure as hell sounded like it was from him. He was the only one who called her bella. Maybe he had ordered the flowers a while ago, and just simply forgotten. He'd check the bank statement tomorrow to be sure.

Mercedes finished dressing in her light blue uniform scrubs before putting on a pair of earrings and the small cross pendant necklace that her granny had given her when she graduated nursing school. The young woman wore it every shift no matter what. She grabbed a clean pair of socks out of the drawer, sitting on the bed to put on her shoes. Mercedes had called a cab earlier to pick her up at 11:30, and the ding from her phone notified her they were now outside waiting. She quickly tied the laces to her all black Nike's, grabbing her purse and jacket, and making sure she had her phone, keys and hospital badge.

Sam walked his girl down to the front entrance of the apartment building, giving her a hug and kiss goodbye. "Be safe, okay." Mercedes nodded kissing him once more. "I love you." 

"I love you too." She walked over to the cab, getting in, and Sam watched the yellow car until it was no longer in sight. For a split second, he had an uneasy feeling like someone was watching him, but shook it off as he headed back inside.

xxxxxxx 

Mercedes thanked the cab driver as she got out, making sure to put a tip on her charge as she paid with her phone. He nodded wishing her a good night before driving off. She was just about to walk into the hospital, when she heard someone call out behind her.

"Excuse me, miss." A deep male voice spoke, grabbing her attention. Mercedes turned around, curiously. She was taken aback by how handsome the stranger was. His eyes stood out the most, an electric, cobalt blue is how she would describe them. He stood a distance in front of her not wanting to startle her. "I'm a little lost. I got turned around with directions, and my phone conveniently just died. Would you mind pointing me in the direction of Charleston and 1st?"

The diva nodded, knowing exactly where that was. "Sure, if you continue straight down this road and make a left at the stop sign, you'll come to an intersection, make a right and you'll end up on the correct road." She told him with a friendly smile. He returned it showing his perfect teeth.

"Thank you. I hope I didn't hold you up too long." 

Mercedes checked her watch,11:55pm. "Not at all, and you're welcome. Have a good night." She smiled at him once more before turning around and heading into the hospital. 

The stranger smiled to himself before walking away.

xxxxxxx 

It was fairly quiet in the ER when Mercedes walked in, greeting everyone that was working for the night. She made her way to the nurses' station, clocking in just as Shane Tinsley and Dave Karofsky, two of the hospital security guards greeted her. They had both just come in for their shifts as well. 

"How's it goin' Cede?" Shane asked leaning against the counter. Dave did the same, and Mercedes smiled at them knowing what they were expecting.

"Sorry boys, I didn't bring any baked goods tonight. Didn't know you two were working. You're both usually off on Mondays." Both men sighed in disappointment and she snorted. "I'll make sure to bake something and bring it next shift, deal?"

"Can you make that delicious red velvet cake again? Last time I took a piece home for my boyfriend, and he hasn't stopped asking about it since." Dave spoke, and she nodded.

"Sure Dave, that's actually my fiancé's favorite too, so I'll have to make sure the cake actually makes it here cuz if he sees it it'll be gone in a flash." Pinning her badge to her shirt pocket, Mercedes moved to head to the back to put her things in her locker.

"You're the best!" Both men exclaimed as they headed up front to their posts.

Mercedes made her way into the locker room, walking to hers and putting the combination in. Placing her purse and jacket inside, she grabbed her black cardigan that she left in there due to it always being cold in the hospital. She put on the cardigan, making sure to grab her phone and put it in her pocket. The room door opened, and the young woman smiled seeing her friend.

"Hey Sugar, I didn't know you were working tonight." The other woman waved in greeting as she put her own belongings in her locker.

"Yeah, I took an extra shift. Gotta make that shmoney." She laughed lightly. "Hopefully it'll be slow tonight, though."

"I think it will be." Both women put on their stethoscopes, closed their lockers before heading out of the room and back to the front of the hospital. "Soo…" Mercedes started as they walked together. 

"Soo…" Sugar copied, already knowing where this conversation was going. 

"Really, Sugar are you really gonna make me beg for info?" 

The two women made their way behind the nurses station taking their respective seats. Sugar shrugged as Mercedes sucked her teeth. The smaller woman giggled at her friend, placing her brown hair in a ponytail before responding. "Fine, since you obviously just have to know. Hunter asked me out for Friday night, and I said yes." 

The other woman smiled brightly doing a little dance in her seat. Sugar shook her head, a small smile still painted on her face. She had to admit, Mercedes was right when she said Hunter was really sweet, and he was definitely hot as hell. They'd been texting back and forth for the past couple days, and earlier that day, he asked if she wanted to go out for dinner on Friday night, and she happily agreed. Her ex hadn't once crossed her mind in the last couple days.

"Just be ready to give me all the details first thing Saturday morning girly cuz I will be calling you." Mercedes warned, and both women giggled as they got to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed it!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely readers! Back with another update. I hope you enjoy reading this chapter!

Past

Sam didn't know what it was, but he had a feeling today was going to be one of those days. So far, things had been going well for the last month or so. The blonde was still on a high from his and Mercedes' recent engagement. He'd finally gotten the courage, and the much needed blessing from Mercedes' father, Dr. Devon Jones, to ask the young woman to marry him. After receiving Dr. Jones' blessing, Sam had taken Mercedes up to the Chang Family Cabin that Mike's dad let the couple use for the weekend. And that is where Sam popped the question. His girl had said yes, after he pulled out all the stops with decorations and singing one of her favorite songs which actually fit their love story perfectly. 

Ever since that day, Sam had been on cloud nine. Work was going pretty good. He and Mike had solved a case that was close to going in the unsolved pile after working on it for almost four months. His mom and Stacy were doing a lot better than they had been since his dad had been killed while on duty. It had been just over a year and a half since that day. However, things were looking up. Stevie had just announced he would be joining the Police Academy, and even though when he first made the announcement, Mary Evans was not too happy about it, the older woman came around. Her entire life, she'd been surrounded by cops, and it was no surprise her youngest son wanted to join the family business. Stevie had always looked up to Dwight and Sam. He always wanted to be just like them.

Everything was going really well so far, but Sam just couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was bound to happen. 

Walking into work that morning felt different. Sam didn't know how to explain it. He went through the regular routine of the morning briefing with Detective Sylvester leading it. There was a case she'd been working on, along with Vice, and though the case was practically solved, Detective Sylvester needed backup, and she wanted the best. Captain Washington named Hunter, Mike and Sam, and even though Sue and Hunter bumped heads more often than not, the older woman agreed that they were the best of the best. Helping Detective Sylvester on this case would also bump all three up a notch, getting them close to making Detective First Grade. So after thinking about it for all of ten seconds, and ignoring the feeling in his gut that had been bothering Sam since he'd woken up that morning, Sam agreed to help with the case along with Mike and Hunter.

After the meeting, Detective Sylvester along with the guys from Vice briefed the three on how things were going to go down. It would be an easy in and out with the amount of backup they had. At least that's what Vice Detective Will Schuester, or Schue as everybody called him, informed. However, nothing was ever just 'in and out' especially when it came to busting a drug dealer/gang leader/murderer and his crew.

xxxxxxx 

"Alright, on my signal, we go in." Schue told the group over his radio. There were officers blocking each entrance to the warehouse where Jesse St. James and his crew kept their goods. They had been exporting and importing illegal drugs for an extended period of time, and Vice finally had enough evidence to bust them after one of their own had gone undercover.

Sam and Hunter had been assigned to cover the south end of the building, and Mike was on the east end with Detective Sylvester. Vice covered north and south, and S.W.A.T had a few men backing them up on all sides. When Schue said to wait for his signal, it wasn't a signal at all, so much as he went in with what backup he had in the front, and everyone else heard what was going down over the radio.

"Police! Get your hands in the air, right now!" The announcement came over the radio. 

"What the fuck, man?" Hunter spoke angrily as he followed behind S.W.A.T with his gun out ready to shoot if need be.

"I guess that's our signal." Sam mumbled, following behind his cousin. He wasn't exactly happy about the lack of warning either.

They made their way into the building, and just as expected, bullets started flying as the St. James Crew realized what was happening. Hunter took down a couple culprits as Sam did the same. Out of the corner of his eye, the blonde saw someone running towards one of the exits. Turning to his left, he saw the leader of the gang trying to make his escape. 

"Cover me!" Sam yelled over the noise of gunfire. Hunter nodded, backing up as Sam charged after Jesse St. James. Gun in hand, he headed out of the exit that the darker haired man had just gone through. Jesse was a good distance ahead of him, headed in the direction of one of the cars parked on the street. "Stop, Police!"

Jesse quickly turned around, firing in Sam's direction. The detective dodged the bullets, ducking behind one of the crates that were on the side of the building before firing his gun as well. He hadn't realized when Hunter got there, but the other man was now on his left. When Jessie ran out of bullets, Sam moved from his covered position, pointing his gun at him. Hunter stood up following slightly behind.

"Drop the gun St. James!" Sam yelled and Jessie slowly bent down placing the gun on the ground. "Get your hands in the air!" He did as told, and just as Sam made a move to restrain the other man, Jesse spoke.

"You might wanna watch your back, detective." He stated with a devious smirk.

Hunter saw the black SUV coming up behind them out of his peripheral just as shots rang out.

"Sam get down!" Hunter ducked behind one of the large crates, firing the last of his round, causing whoever was driving the SUV to crash into the side of the building. There was a loud explosion as the automobile caught on fire due to one of the bullets connecting with the gas tank. Faint screams could be heard as whoever was in the SUV burned alive.

Hunter let out a heavy breath as he focused on getting control of his breathing again. When he turned back around, Jesse was gone, and Sam was lying on the ground out in the open. Hunter's eyes widened as he sprinted, closing the distance between them. "Sammy!"

The darker man made it to his cousin, kneeling down on the ground beside him. "Sam, get up!" He turned the blonde over, so he could see his face, giving him a once over. Sam's eyes were a bit dazed, but he looked fine from what Hunter could see, causing him to let out a sigh of relief. "Are you alright? Why didn't you answer me?"

Sam nodded. He felt a little tingly, but figured that was due to his life flashing before his eyes less than a minute ago. "I just got the wind knocked out of me is all."

"You scared me you asshole. I thought you were dead for a sec." Hunter motioned for Sam to sit up so he could finish checking him. He ran his eyes over the blonde's back. There were two small bullet holes in the back of Sam's NYPD issued rain jacket,but the vest he was wearing absorbed them. Sam would have a couple bruises for a bit, but he'd be fine it seemed. 

"Jesse got away. I don't even know which way he went." Sam stated as he let Hunter look him over. The tingling was becoming more prominent, and his hands were starting to shake. Sam balled his hands into fists to stop the involuntary movement.

"Don't worry about that right now. Can you stand?" Hunter stood up himself, holding his hand out to help the other man. Sam took it, standing up a bit unsteady. Hunter quickly caught him, helping the blonde get steady on his feet, holding his free hand against his lower back.

When Sam stood up, things started spinning, and his throat all of a sudden felt dry. He blinked a few times, willing the ground to be under him and the sky above him. The tingling was slowly turning into a numbness, and Sam couldn't figure out for the life of him what the hell was happening. "Hunt, I don't feel so good." He mumbled.

Hunter frowned both at Sam's slurring words, and the fact that there was a noticeable thick, sticky substance quickly coating his hand that was still on the other man's back. Hunter hurriedly lifted Sam's jacket. The dark blue shirt the blonde was wearing was now more of a purple as a deep crimson stained the cloth. "Shit" Hunter cursed to himself as he lifted up Sam's shirt as far as he could with the vest still on.

And there it was, a bullet wound, steadily oozing blood. Hunter moved his other hand out of Sam's grip, moving to put pressure on the wound. The blonde stumbled without his support. "Sit down."

Sam didn't argue as it was becoming tiresome to stand. He sat down on the pavement with Hunter's help. The dark haired man quickly removed his NYPD rain jacket as he used it to put pressure on the wound. "I can't feel my hands." Sam whispered. Hunter silently cursed again as he pulled his radio off his belt.

"It's okay. You're gonna be okay, Sammy." Hunter didn't know if he was trying to convince himself or Sam that his words were true. "10-13, I repeat, 10-13 on the corner of 10th and Park!" He released into the radio. Sam started to slump over, but Hunter quickly caught him. "No, no, no, you've gotta stay awake for me fratellino. You hear me?" Sam nodded, but his eyes continued to droop. Hunter quickly looked around before standing and pulling Sam with him to lean against one of the large crates.

The brunette grabbed his phone out of his pocket as it dawned on him that he needed to call for help and ambulance. He sat down against the crate, pulling Sam half into his lap as he used his thigh to put pressure on the wound. Sam was practically dead weight in his arms as he placed the blonde's head on his shoulder. "Stay awake, Sammy. I'm gonna call for help, okay." 

Another small nod came from Sam as he fought to keep his eyes open. His head was fuzzy, and he was starting to feel cold.

"911, what's your emergency?" The dispatcher recited as she answered the phone. It was an odd thing being on the opposite side of this kind of call. They were always the ones responding to the calls instead of making them. Hunter quickly snapped himself out of his thoughts before he spoke a bit louder than necessary.

"This is Detective Hunter Claringtonzip shield number 48651. There's an officer down on 10th and Park. I need a bus to this location, right now!"

"Detective…" Hunter didn't hear whatever the young woman was saying as Mike came running up to them.

"I heard you over the radio." Mike informed. " What the hell happened?" The Asian man's eyes darted between the two. Sam was noticeably pale, and Hunter had tears in his eyes. He never cried. Mike could count on one hand how many times he'd seen the other man cry. 

"They fuckin' shot him, Mikey." Hunter replied hoarsely, quickly wiping a couple tears away as he looked at Sam. The blonde said something, but Hunter had to strain to hear him. The dispatcher said something over the phone, and Mike grabbed the device out of the other man's hand, speaking into it. Sirens could be heard in the distance.

"Call Merce" Sam repeated what he'd said a few moments earlier. Hunter, having heard him that time, checked Sam's pockets for his phone, but came up short. Mike was talking to the dispatcher as Hunter grabbed his attention, asking for his phone. Reaching into his pocket, Mike put in the pass code before handing it over. Hunter quickly scrolled through the contacts finding Mercedes' name and pressing the call button. Sam's head was slowly slipping off Hunter's shoulder. He moved the blonde's head up, cradling it in the crook of his neck. 

"Stay awake for me, fratellino. Just a little while longer. I'm calling Cede for you, okay." Hunter listened to the ringing on the other end as he waited for Mercedes to answer. He didn't get a nod from Sam this time, he noticed. Hunter stared in front of him at his blood soaked jeans. "Damn it Cede, answer the phone." He whispered before it went to voicemail.

"Mm cold…" Sam trailed off, and Hunter saw the small trickle of blood come from the blonde's mouth.

"Fuck, where's the damn bus, Mikey?"

"A minute out." Mike informed as Detective Sylvester and Schue came around the corner. 

"That's too long! He's bleeding internally!" The call to Mercedes went to voicemail once again. "And Cede isn't answering her damn phone!" 

Ever since they were kids, Hunter had always looked out for Sam and Mike. Being an only child, they were the closest thing he had to brothers. And the one thing he was good at doing, protecting those he loved, he had failed at today. 

The sirens were much closer now, and Hunter let out a shaky breath. "You hear that, Sammy? Help is almost here. We're gonna get you to the hospital, they'll fix you up, and you'll be good as new."

Sam didn't respond at all this time.

xxxxxxx 

Present Day (3 Weeks After Last Chapter)

Mike, Sam, Hunter, and Stevie were currently playing basketball in the park. The last few weeks had gone by fairly quickly l, and Sam and Mike were able to put a suspect behind bars for the Brianna Thompson and Sarah Martinez murders. Jake Puckerman had known both women, and had been dating Sarah on and off for some time. Jake, just like his older brother Noah had been in trouble with the law quite a few times as a minor, however, unlike his brother, the twenty-three year old hadn't changed his ways upon entering adulthood.

"You think we'll get promoted anytime soon? Being bumped up to Detective First Grade would be awesome, plus we'd get to work on federal cases instead of just state." Hunter spun the ball on his pointer finger. "And I'd get to boss everyone below me around."

Mike stole the ball away from the other man. "Don't you already do that anyway though? You're hella bossy, Hunt." The Asian man stated as he made a layup.

Stevie caught the ball, dribbling it a few times. "Do you three ever talk about anything other than work?" He moved to make a three point shot, but it bounced off the rim instead with Sam catching it.

Yeah, we talk about how much you suck at hoops." Sam teased his little brother as he made a free throw. "What would you like to talk about, your highness?" The older blonde did a dramatic bow while holding the ball to his side.

"Probably the fact that he finally got laid." Hunter caught the ball as Sam passed it to him. Stevie blushed at his cousin's words. It wasn't like he was a virgin or anything, but his current girlfriend, Lisa, who also happened to be Mercedes' younger cousin, had been, and she wanted to wait. They'd been together for about eight months now.

"Actually" Stevie moved to the nearby bench, grabbing his bottle of Gatorade. "I'm bringing her to family dinner on Sunday. It was currently Friday afternoon. All three men stopped what they were doing to look at the other man.

"Someone's getting serious. What if Nonna doesn't like her?" Mike questioned as he lifted his shirt, wiping the sweat from his face.

"Nonna likes everybody." Stevie retorted, getting a snort from Hunter and a chuckle from the other two.

"The hell she does. Nonna didn't like any of my girlfriends before Merce and I got together. And she absolutely hated Quinn."

"Hate is a strong word Sam." Hunter stated as he thought about his ex. Quinn and Nonna never got along. From the moment the older woman had met Quinn, she didn't like her. She would always tell him Quinn was sneaky and manipulative, but Hunter was in love at the time, and couldn't see it. At least he thought it was love at the time.

Mike shrugged as he took another free throw shot. "I guess we'll see if Nonna likes Lisa or not on Sunday. Even if she doesn't say it out loud, it'll be written all over her face."

"Speaking of girlfriends. What's been going on with yours Mike? Tina's been more emotional than normal. I swear all I did was say hi to her the other day, and she started crying." Hunter stated as he took a seat on the bench. They'd been playing for the better part of an hour.

Mike sighed, running a hand through his sweaty hair. "She's pregnant, so her emotions are all over the place." When Tina first told him she was pregnant, Mike didn't know what to say out of shock, but after the news sank in, he was excited and happy. Tina, on the other hand, was a whole mess of emotions. Hunter, Sam and Stevie looked at him with wide eyes. 

"Dude, are you serious. You're having a kid?" Stevie spoke, breaking the silence.

"Technically, T's having the kid, but…" Mike shrugged and Hunter waved him off. 

"When did you find out?" 

"Like three weeks ago…"

"You've been keeping this from us for almost a month." Sam interrupted looking highly offended.

"She didn't want me to say anything. T's on this whole trip about how she's supposed to get married before having a kid. She promised her mom." The other three nodded in understanding. Sam was still offended that Mike hadn't told him the news as soon as he found out, but quickly shook it off.

"Weren't you gonna propose to Tina soon anyway though?" Stevie inquired, slightly confused. If she wanted to get married before having a kid, they could still do that. 

Mike nodded. "But if I do it now, she'll probably think I'm only asking because she's pregnant, and I don't want that to be the case." The young man had actually gotten a custom engagement ring for her that the jeweler had finished a month prior to Tina telling him she was pregnant. He had just been trying to find the right time to ask.

"You could just take her to the courthouse and get married, then have an actual wedding ceremony later on after the kid is born." Hunter stated.

"Aren't you a romantic." Stevie stated sarcastically, receiving the infamous middle finger from his cousin.

Sam thought for a moment before speaking. "Or we could have a double wedding." He looked between the three with a smile, waiting for confirmation. Each man slowly shook their head in the negative.

"Dude, have you been watching Hallmark movies again?" Mike gave Sam an amused look. The blonde shrugged focusing on the imaginary dirt he was kicking around.

"Mere likes 'em, so I watch 'em sometimes." He told them quietly. Stevie shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips as Mike snorted and Hunter rolled his eyes. They all knew he watched them even when Mercedes wasn't around.

"Just ask her to marry you, Mikey. T won't say no, and if she thinks you only asked because she's having your kid, then maybe you two don't know each other as well as you thought." Hunter reasoned. Tina and Mike had been together for four years now. Hunter didn't know about them, but personally, he wasn't waiting four years of his damn life being with someone if marriage wasn't a plan for the future. 

Mike nodded agreeing with Hunter. The Asian man was running ideas through his head on how he was going to propose to his girl. The four moved back onto the court to play two on two.

"On another note, what's going on with you and Sugar, Hunt?" Sam asked as they started playing.

"I don't kiss and tell, Sammy, you know that." He dribbled the ball a few times before faking left and making his way down the court, passing the ball to Mike. He and Sugar had been hanging out a lot over the last few weeks. Hunter hadn't spent as much time with one girl as he'd been with Sugar since Quinn. Sugar was adorable and funny, not to mention beautiful, and Hunter knew he was slowly starting to fall for her. He hadn't even texted another girl since they'd been spending time together. The man was whipped and hadn't even realized it yet. 

The boys continued their game, all the while not knowing that they were being watched from a distance.

xxxxxxx 

Brittany, Tina, Mercedes and Sugar were all at Sugar's loft having a girl's night. The four were currently painting each other's nails and listening to a music playlist Brittany had put together. Bruno Mars' Finesse ft. Cardi B was currently filling the large room through Sugar's surround sound speakers.

Tina had just finished painting Brittany's nails on her left hand when the blonde spoke. "Sugar, I'm not happy that you make more money than me. I think I'm going to have to talk to HR about them overpaying you." She said,blowing her nails. "It's not right."

Sugar playfully rolled her eyes as she focused on painting Mercedes' nails. "I don't make more money than you at work Britt." 

"Well then how are you able to afford such a luxurious place like this on just a nurse's salary. Don't get me wrong, I love my job, but the pay isn't the best." Brittany tucked her legs underneath her on the couch, getting more comfortable as Tina lifted her long brown hair into a high ponytail before continuing on the blonde's other hand.

Mercedes turned to Brittany smiling at the other woman. "We talked about this conversation already Britt-Britt, remember? Sugar's family is filthy rich." She teased, though it wasn't a lie. The Motta Family was not in any way lacking when it came to money. Though Sugar was modest about it. The young woman didn't like flaunting her money in everyone's faces. Yes, she'd grown up well off, and never went without, but her parents had taught her the value of money, and that just because she had it, didn't mean she should spend it on any and everything. The loft was a graduation present from her parents. Sugar, however, paid her utilities every month and had purchased all her own furniture with money she'd saved up, from working and using some of her partial inheritance she'd gotten after turning twenty-one. She wouldn't get the rest of her inheritance until after she got married.

"Is anyone else hungry? Because I'm starving." Tina blurted out, as the other three turned to look at her. "What? I'm eating for two now, and this baby obviously has Mike's appetite."

"I can't believe you're having a baby T. You and Mike should name it Brittany." The dancer announced.

Tina giggled, shaking her head at her blonde friend. "If it's a girl, I'll think about Brittany for the middle name. Deal?" The other woman thought about it for a second before shrugging. 

"Fair enough"

"'I'm so excited a baby's coming. I love kids." Sugar smiled. "I miss my little cousins running around all the time even though Jersey isn't that far away."

"I'm ordering a pizza." Tina announced, pulling out her phone to make an online order. "If you're hungry, speak now or forever hold your peace."

Everyone stated what they wanted, and Tina made the order, getting a notification that it would be ready and delivered within forty-five minutes.

"Have you guys ever thought about names for your future kids?" Mercedes asked as she placed her hands under Sugar's UV nail dryer as she laid on the shaggy gray rug in front of the couch. "I thought I would have two girls and name them Sasha and Jade because I was obsessed with Bratz."

"When I was younger, I wanted to have twins and name them Luke and Leia." Brittany told them, checking to make sure her Midnight Blue nail polish was dry.

The other girls giggled at her confession. "Like from Star Wars?" Sugar clarified, and Brittany nodded. 

"I used to love watching the movies with my cat Lord Tubbington even though he would always hiss when Darth Vadar came on the screen."

"I wanted to name my daughter Buffy at one point from Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Sugar shrugged. "I was obsessed with the show."

"For the longest time, I wanted to name my future daughter Rosemary, but now that I'm older and actually expecting, it's too hippie-ish."

"And creepy" Mercedes added. "Everytime I hear the name Rosemary I think of Rosemary's Baby."

Brittany frowned. "What did Rosemary's baby ever do to you?"

Mercedes sat back up as her nails had now dried, explaining to her friend the movie that the blonde had never seen before. Once she had explained it, Brittany agreed that it was, in fact, creepy.

"Speaking of the 90's." The other three gave a confused look at Brittany's sudden change of topic. That movie was made in the late sixties. "I love watching Saved by the Bell and Boy Meets World."

Sugar clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh I love Boy Meets World! I have all seven seasons on DVD."

"Me too!" Tina smiled. She was really starting to like Sugar now that they were getting to know each other better.

Sugar moved to the large flat screen TV, turning it on, and going through her DVDs to find season four of the show since the seasons were better as the cast got older. Brittany turned the music off as the girls sat in front of the TV.

"I had the biggest crush on Jack Hunter. Hell, I still do, but none of you better tell Sam I said that." Mercedes warned. "Speaking of Hunter…" She eyed Sugar as the other woman moved to sit beside her.

"I see what you did there." Tina said with a smile.

Sugar shook her head, all the while smiling. "Hunter and I are getting to know each other." She picked some lint off her plush pink throw blanket.

"You don't have to lie, Sugar. If all you want is to make out with Hunter all the time, I understand. He's a really good kisser."

Tina, Mercedes and Sugar all looked at Brittany with raised eyebrows.

"What? It was long before I knew you guys. I also made out with Mike and Sam. Not at the same time though." She shrugged. "They're good kisses too." 

"We know!" The trio exclaimed in unison at this new information, however, it was nothing worth getting upset over. It was a long time ago as Brittany stated. The doorbell rang, and Sugar got up to answer it.

"Did somebody order a pizza?" Hunter asked, leaning against the doorframe with a half smile as he held the girls' food order in his hands. Sam, Mike and Stevie were there as well waiting to be invited in.

Sugar tried her best to hide her smile. "What are you guys doing here? It's girls' night." She stated crossing her arms.

"We know, we'll only stay for a minute. Then we'll let you girls get back to talking about how hot you think we all are." Sugar shook her head at Hunter's words before stepping aside to let them in.

xxxxxxx 

Outside Sugar's building, sat a black SUV. Inside the SUV sat the blue eyed stranger. His cellphone rang, and he quickly answered.

"Weston, you better be doing your damn job!" His boss yelled through the phone. "You're only to watch those girls from a distance. No more going up to any of them! Don't think I don't know what you did last time."

The man sighed, listening to his boss. He knew right after he approached Mercedes that night he had fucked up. She knew what he looked like now. The talking continued over the line.

"Don't fuck up again, or I'll kill you. You've already messed things up, killing those two girls for absolutely no reason.

Weston rolled his eyes. "You're not gonna kill me. You must've forgotten my brother is your boss."

"Half brother" He stated matter of factly. "If you mess shit up again, you're dead. Don't go up to any of those girls. Their boyfriends aren't stupid. They'll figure shit out if you aren't careful."

"Whatever" He hung up the phone cutting the other man off.

He was getting real tired of this watch and wait shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With the way things are going, do you think Jesse St. James will make another appearance?
> 
> Is Mercedes the only one in danger?
> 
> Where does blue eyes fit into all of this?
> 
> If you guys want a flashback on the Samcedes proposal, I can write that.   
> I may also write the Tike one as well.
> 
> This fic originally started off as Samcedes with a side of Tike, but it is slowly becoming a Samcedes, Tike, SugaryHunt or a HuntofSugar (lol I suck at ship names) story. 
> 
> Tell me what you think

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it! Let me know what you think. Remember kudos and comments are love!


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